Hubble Uncovers Multi-Age Stars in Ancient Cluster, Reshaping Galaxy Origins

A stunning new image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope reveals that ancient star cluster NGC 1786—located 160,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud—hosts stars of varying ages. Once believed to contain a single generation of stars, NGC 1786 now appears to preserve a more complex stellar history. This multi-age discovery suggests that early galaxies may have formed stars in stages, not all at once. By comparing it to Milky Way clusters, astronomers hope to retrace how both galaxies evolved. The findings provide fresh insight into how galaxies like ours grew through gradual star formation and mergers.