Zooming in on the globular star cluster Messier 55

This zoom sequence starts with a wide view of the spectacular Milky Way. We then close in on a fuzzy spot that proves to be a very rich star cluster, the globular Messier 55. In the final sequence we see a very detailed view of Messier 55 in infrared light from the VISTA telescope at ESO's Paranal Observatory.
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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.