(editor's note: Unlocking the secrets of the Cosmos is exciting. As early as 1752, astronomers have been trying to gauge the age of planetary bodies. Recently, the VISTA telescope was able to show us clusters of stars. In addition to the Sacred Geometry of their "globular clusters held together in a tight spherical shape by gravity", we also gain a better understanding of this group age in relation to the younger age of our Sun.
I'm so happy to report that news of activities happening outside and around our planet continue to intrigue more and more people!
Just a few years ago, "space geeks" were the only ones interested in all the wonderous events of our neighboring planets, stars, and galaxies. Now it seems everyone has their eyes to the skies!
The view from down here is a special vantage point, so I hope you enjoy this report and get a better understanding of how important YOU are to the beautiful Cosmos we all call home.
~All my Love, Boo)
VISTA Views a Vast Ball of Stars
A new image of Messier 55 from ESO's VISTA infrared survey telescope shows tens of thousands of stars crowded together like a swarm of bees. Besides being packed into a relatively small space, these stars are also among the oldest in the Universe. Astronomers study Messier 55 and other ancient objects like it, called globular clusters, to learn how galaxies evolve and stars age.
This striking view of the globular star cluster Messier 55 in the constellation of Sagittarius (The Archer) was obtained in infrared light with the VISTA survey telescope at ESO's Paranal Observatory in Chile. This vast ball of ancient stars is located at a distance of about 17,000 light-years from Earth. (Credit: ESO/J. Emerson/VISTA. Acknowledgment: Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit)
Being made mostly from hydrogen distinguishes globular cluster residents from stars born in later eras, like our Sun, that are infused with heavier elements created in earlier generations of stars. The Sun lit up some 4.6 billion years ago, making it only about half as old as the elderly stars in most globular clusters. The chemical makeup of the cloud from which the Sun formed is reflected in the abundances of elements found throughout the Solar System -- in asteroids, in the planets and in our own bodies.
Sky watchers can find Messier 55 in the constellation of Sagittarius (The Archer). The notably large cluster appears nearly two-thirds the width of the full Moon, and is not at all difficult to see in a small telescope, even though it is located at a distance of about 17 000 light-years from Earth.
