CosmoView Episode 38: Ruins of Ancient Star Cluster Found at Milky Way’s Edge

Astronomers have discovered the ruins of an ancient star cluster in the outer fringes of the Milky Way. This stellar stream, known as C-19, extends across a large area of the night sky, approximately 30 times the width of the full Moon. The stars in the stream have a uniquely low proportion of heavy elements — lower than any other stellar system in the Milky Way or its surroundings. This discovery was made using telescopes on the ground and in space, including the international Gemini Observatory, a Program of NSF’s NOIRLab.