47 Tucanae

Here is a galaxy’s central core — without the galaxy.

Let me explain.

47 Tucanae, the 2nd largest cluster in the Milky Way, behind only Omega Centauri. It is a galactic cluster comprising over one million stars situated approximately 14,000 light-years from Earth in the southern hemisphere. 47 Tucanae has a distinct feature: Unlike most clusters it contains a black hole. This suggests that 47 Tucanae was the core of a dwarf galaxy that orbited the Milky Way. The Milky Way’s immense gravity pulled dust and gases away from the dwarf galaxy. Eventually, the central core itself was pulled into the Milky Way’s body.

Data from Telescope Live’s CDK-24 in Chile; processed by me.