M79 • NGC 1904 • Globular Cluster

M79 is a compact and strikingly bright globular cluster in Lepus, just below Orion's belt. The cluster contains a large population of old, metal-poor stars and has a fairly concentrated core. M79 is special because it is presumably not an original inhabitant of the Milky Way: many studies suggest that the cluster originated from a former dwarf galaxy that was swallowed up by our Milky Way. In astrophotographs, M79 shows a beautiful grainy structure with countless individual stars surrounding the bright core.