Omega Centauri is the finest globular cluster in the night sky. First discovered by Edmond Halley (better known for predicting the return of the comet that still bears his name) in 1677, Omega Centauri is a blazing ball containing over one million stars in an area larger than the full moon. Even the Hercules Cluster (M13) pales in comparison to Omega Centauri.

Omega Centauri is visible to the naked eye, but is truly delightful with binoculars. Step up to a telescope and you'll be simply amazed at the number of bright stars you can resolve. Use low magnification to see the cluster in its entirety and then zoom in for a closer look.

Omega Centauri's bulk is equal to five-million solar masses. That's ten times the mass of most globular clusters, and as much as some small galaxies.

The stars in Omega Centauri did not all form at the same time, indicating that it may be the nuclear remnant of a small galaxy that merged with the Milky Way sometime in the distant past.

Click here to see if this object is visible in your sky tonight.