Surprising Science — February 23, 2014

The Beehive Cluster

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M44 is a cluster of young stars some 600 light-years away from Earth. Also known as the Praesepe or Beehive Cluster, its stars are around 600 million years old compared to our Sun’s 4.5 billion years and the closest cluster to our galaxy, according to NASA. Some of its yellowish-colored stars and red giants make it a popular treasure for binocular-equipped star gazers.

Image source: NASA

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

A digitally enhanced view of a crescent planet Earth with a galaxy in the background.

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A computer-generated image of a bright celestial object with an accretion disk, possibly representing what the sun looked like when it was born.

Starts With A Bang

What was it like when the Sun was born?

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The Milky Way, a galaxy in space filled with stars, grew up.

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A digitally generated image of a glowing, elongated object framed by a translucent rectangle against a dark background with cosmic web-like structures.

Starts With A Bang

What was it like when the cosmic web formed?

On the largest cosmic scales, galaxies line up along filaments, with great clusters forming at their intersection. Here’s how it took shape.

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