[as posted on my astronomy club Facebook site]

A satellite shot of Taylor Swift fans rushing to get autographs?

No.

This is a group of stars called M13. It's also known as the Hercules Globular Cluster, after the constellation it can be seen within.

M13 is pretty bright. It's general appearance was first noted in modern times by Edmund Halley in 1714, very early in the first golden era of telescopes. In those days, comets were all the rage and everyone was trying to discover them. It was believed that comets somehow presaged major world events and tragedies. Even looking through the limited optics of the time, Halley could tell that this was, sadly, not a comet.

Not to worry. Ed was good at finding real comets, as you've probably guessed. His first one is pretty famous. Unexplained objects like clusters were something to study later. He probably would never know how massive star clusters are, how far away they really are, or what their existence might suggest.

Since then, we've learned that M13 is 20,000 light years away in our own Milky Way galaxy. 160 light years across and 11B years old. And that there are many similar clusters here, arranged in a kind of sphere around the galaxy's middle.

Why would several hundred thousand stars be so tightly gathered like this? Held in position by their mutual gravity, but not collapsing on each other. Rather, they look to be frozen in position. A mystery.

Well, I'm not a professional astronomer, but I am on Facebook, so my opinion matters!

I imagine that these might be the central stars of galaxies that were long ago absorbed by the Milky Way. In each instance, the passing body got too close, and the nuclear center was abandoned by its black hole, lured to our own nucleus and pulled away so quickly that the surrounding stars were left to drift in our orbit.

It isn't a stretch to suggest this. Most galaxies display evidence of disruption by others. Several show likely merges in progress. Computer modeling shows galaxies often pass through one another, each robbing material from the other. Spirals and clouds of gas first and eventually the central nucleus.

Of course, since we live but for an instant in the universe, it's impossible to confirm through direct observation. There are alternative explanations. Truth be told, most scientists think clusters were formed earlier in the galaxy's genesis as thick gas clouds would collapse on themselves. Think of the stars as the condensation from the shrinking and ever denser cloud.
Now that I think of it, "M13" is also a fictional UK intelligence service in Marvel comics and books. The unit investigates paranormal occurrences. Perhaps there is more to this star cluster than meets the eye.

Tonight's log entry is being written while listening to Beegie Adair's version of 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘵 𝘈 𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘖𝘯 𝘠𝘰𝘶.