A galactic time capsule: Hubble captures secrets of ancient star cluster

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the globular cluster NGC 1786. (Image: NASA)

Sometimes, the night sky holds more than beauty. With each glowing cluster, there’s a quiet story of the past. That’s what Hubble has captured in its latest image — a brilliant field of stars known as NGC 1786, tucked far away in a nearby galaxy.

Ancient Cluster in a Neighbouring Galaxy

This globular cluster lies inside the Large Magellanic Cloud. It’s a small satellite galaxy orbiting our Milky Way. NGC 1786 itself rests in the southern constellation Dorado. British astronomer Sir John Herschel first discovered it in 1835. The cluster sits about 160,000 light-years from Earth.

The image was taken by NASA and ESA’s Hubble Space Telescope. It’s part of a programme studying globular clusters in nearby dwarf galaxies. Scientists are comparing clusters in the LMC, Small Magellanic Cloud, and Fornax Dwarf Galaxy to those in our own Milky Way.

Timekeepers of the Cosmos

Globular clusters are very old and tightly packed with stars. The Milky Way alone contains over 150 of them. Because they’re stable and long-lasting, these clusters act like starry archives. They preserve stars from a galaxy’s early days.

Earlier, scientists believed stars in a cluster formed together. But new studies showed these clusters host stars of different ages. That’s changed how astronomers read their history.

Searching for Answers Beyond Our Galaxy

Now, researchers are asking bigger questions. Do clusters in other galaxies also hold multiple star groups? Can they tell us more about how galaxies grow?

To find out, astronomers turned their gaze to clusters like NGC 1786. This work helps piece together how stars were born long ago. The clearer the picture, the better we understand our place in space.