Hubble Image Shows Globular Cluster Messier 30

The image shows Messier 30 (M30), a globular cluster in the constellation Capricornus. The cluster lies approximately 27,500 light-years from Earth.

Key details

• The European Space Agency released the image on November 5, 2026.
• A globular cluster is a roughly spherical group of stars held together by gravity.
• The Milky Way contains at least 150 globular clusters.
• M30 and some other globular clusters move opposite to the Milky Way's rotation.
• Some Milky Way globular clusters are estimated to be 11.5–13.5 billion years old; that age range is not specifically established for M30.

Messier 30 lies about 27,500 light-years from Earth in Capricornus.

Why it matters

M30's motion opposite to the Milky Way's rotation distinguishes it from the galaxy's general direction of spin. Astronomers consider whether M30 may have formed outside the Milky Way and later been captured, but that origin remains a possibility rather than a settled conclusion.