Globular cluster NGC 362. Globular clusters are spherical groups of very old stars that are tightly bound by gravity and orbit a dense central core. They can contain over a million stars within a volume only a few hundred light years across. They formed billions of years ago, and are distributed in halos around many galaxies, including the Milky Way. NGC 288 is around 27,700 light years from Earth, in the constellation of Tucana. This image was obtained on 14 November 2015.