And I knew, from the hours spent gazing through my telescopes at star clusters, galaxies and planets, that firsthand astronomical observations always trumped photos in books or on computer screens.
In the Science report, Dr. Sigurdsson's group concluded that the findings imply "that planets may be relatively common in low-metallicity globular clusters and that planet formation is more widespread and has happened earlier than previously believed".
The astronomer William Herschel made a detailed catalog of nebulosity and clusters, and in 1781 discovered the planet Uranus, the first new planet found.
Guests gather beneath an observation dome and gawk at supernova remnants, faraway planets, globular clusters and misty nebulae.
Other explanations of dark energy, called phantom energy theories, suggest that ultimately galaxy clusters, stars, planets, atoms, nuclei, and matter itself will be torn apart by the ever-increasing expansion in a so-called Big Rip.
The triple system is just outside the core of the globular cluster Messier 4. The age of the cluster has been estimated to be about 12.7 billion years, and because all stars in a cluster form at about the same time, and planets form together with their host stars, it is likely that PSR B1620-26 b is also about 12.7 billion years old.
(800 627-9399 www.discoverystore.com LOOKING DEEP -- View galaxies, star clusters, planets and comets with this eight-inch Dobsonian Reflector telescope.
Visitors can see the moon, planets, galaxies, nebulae, star clusters and double stars.
The sensitivity of a CCD is 100 times greater than a photographic plate and so has the ability to quickly scan objects such as planets, nebulae, and star clusters and record the desired data.
