Object Analysis

Messier 80 (M80) is a globular cluster in the constellation Scorpius. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1781. It is one of the most densely packed globular clusters in the Milky Way, located about 32,600 light-years from Earth and roughly 95 light-years in diameter.

The cluster contains hundreds of thousands of stars, so tightly packed that stellar collisions are relatively common. These collisions produce "blue stragglers"—stars that have merged or stolen mass to appear younger and hotter than the rest of the ancient population. M80 has one of the highest concentrations of these exotic stars ever found.

In 1860, M80 became the site of a rare event: a nova (T Scorpii) that erupted within the cluster, briefly becoming brighter than the entire cluster itself. This was the first time a nova had been observed in a globular cluster, highlighting the dynamic and occasionally violent nature of these ancient stellar cities.