Picture from October 9, 2010
This spectacular image shows what is know as a globular star cluster. These clusters are gravitationally bound into a spherical arrangement, and the clusters themselves are older than all other bodies in their respective galaxy. They are so old, in fact, that studying these arrangements is one way astronomers can put a lower limit on the age of the universe. In this way, they can be a useful tool for studying how the universe was shaped, and what the early universe might have been like. This particular cluster, NGC 6934, is approximately 50,000 light years away, in the constellation of Delphinus. The stars in the cluster are estimated to be around 10 billion years old.
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