PIX4566979: Chateau - Abbadia Observatory - Abbadia Castle - Property of the Academy of Sciences, located in Hendaye, in the Atlantic Pyrenees, this castle was the home of Antoine d'Abbadie (1810 - 1897), a scholar and explorer. It was built between 1864 and 1879 by the architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc (1814 - 1879), instead of an astronomical observatory dating back to 1858. The castle houses a new observatory, equipped with a Meridian bezel of 2.05 m focal length, with which d'Abbadie participated in the elaboration of the map of the sky “”. Passionate about astronomy, Antoine d'Abbadie made many trips, notably to observe total eclipses of the Sun in Norway (1851), Spain (1860) and Algeria (1867). In 1882 he observed Venus's passage before the Sun from the West Indies. He was president of the Academy of Sciences in 1891 and 1892. Abbadia Castle, owned by the French Academy of Sciences, was built by Eugene Viollet le Duc between 1864 and 1879. It houses a former astronomy observatory. / Bridgeman Images

TEC4567048: The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. This collection, initiated in the 18th century by the Impress Catherine II of Russia (1729-1796), covers fields as varied as painting, sculpture, graphic arts, archeology and decorative arts. / Bridgeman Images

TEC4567113: The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. This collection, initiated in the 18th century by the Impress Catherine II of Russia (1729-1796), covers fields as varied as painting, sculpture, graphic arts, archeology and decorative arts. / Bridgeman Images

TEC4567194: The Arch of the General Staff, Palace Square in St. Petersburg, Russia. Architect Carlo di Giovanni Rossi (1775-1849), 1819-1821. / Bridgeman Images

PIX4567241: Amateur astronomer and star sky - Astrophotographer and Telescope - Astrophotographer Jerry Lodriguss poses in front of the constellation of Orion with his telescope and photo equipment. With the constellation of Orion setting in the west, an amateur astronomer and astrophotographer poses for a portrait with his telescope and camera equipment / Bridgeman Images

TEC4567267: A circus in Saint Petersburg in Russia / Bridgeman Images

LRI4567290: Page of musical score of Cantium Canticorum Salomonis by Penderecki (c.1970-1973) / Bridgeman Images

LRI4567303: Page of musical score of Salmo IX by Goffredo Petrassi / Bridgeman Images

TEC4567328: The pier in Saint Petersburg in Russia / Bridgeman Images

PIX4564335: Globular cluster NGC 1806 in Dorado - Globular cluster NGC 1806 in Dorado - Image of the globular cluster NGC 1806 located in the southern constellation of Dorado. NGC 1806 belongs to the galaxy of the Great Magellan Cloud, a galaxy adjacent to our lactee path. Image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has turned its sharp eye towards a tight collection of stars, first seen 174 years ago. The result is a sparkling image of NGC 1806, tens of thousands of stars gravitationally bound into a rich cluster. Commonly called globular clusters, most of these objects are very old, having formed in the distant past when the Universe was only a fraction of its current age. NGC 1806 lies within the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our own Milky Way. It can be observed within the constellation of Dorado (the dolphin - fish), an area of the sky best seen from the Earth's southern hemisphere. NGC 1806 was discovered in 1836 by the British astronomer John Herschel. The Wide Field Channel of Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys was used to obtain this picture that was created from images taken through blue (F435W, coloured blue), yellow (F555W, coloured green) and near - infrared (F814W, coloured red) filters. The exposure times were 770 s, 720 s and 688 s, respectively, and the field of view is 3.1 by 1.9 arcminutes / Bridgeman Images

PIX4564408: Centaurus Omega globular cluster - Omega globular cluster in Centaurus - Located 17,000 years ago - light from Earth in the southern constellation of Centaurus, Omega Centaurus (NGC 5139) contains several million stars and is one of the oldest objects in our galaxy. Omega Centauri (NGC 5139) is located about 17,000 light years from Earth in the constellation of Centaurus and contains several million stars. It is the biggest globular cluster in our galaxy and also one of the oldest objects of our galaxy / Bridgeman Images

PIX4564449: Centaur Omega globular cluster - The globular cluster Omega Centauri, NGC 5139 - Located 17,000 years ago - light from Earth in the southern constellation of Centaur, Omega Centauri contains several million stars and is one of the most ancient objects in our galaxy. Image obtained by the VST (VLT Survey Telescope) in Chile. The second released VST (VLT Survey Telescope) image may be the best portrait of the globular star cluster Omega Centauri ever made. Omega Centauri, in the constellation of Centaurus (The Centaur), is the largest globular cluster in the sky, but the very wide field of view of VST and its powerful camera Omegaam can include even the faint outer regions of this spectacular object. This view includes about 300,000 stars / Bridgeman Images

PIX4564537: White dwarf and planet in the globular cluster M4 - Oldest known planet in globular cluster M4 - The globular cluster M4 is located about 7000 years from Earth and seems to be 13 billion years old. The Hubble a space telescope identifies a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a white dwarf star (arrow on the image). It would be the oldest planet known to date. Hubble Space Telescope image of stars in globular cluster M4. Marked is a white - dwarf star, which is orbited by the pulsar called PSR B1620 - 26; this system had been discovered by radio astronomers in 1988. Only the white dwarf is visible in this image. The system has a third companion, it has a mass 2.5 times larger than planet Jupiter, and is thus recognized as a planet / Bridgeman Images

PIX4564549: Globular cluster M4 in Scorpio - Globular cluster M4 in Scorpius - M4 is a globular cluster located about 7000 years - light from Earth in the constellation Scorpio. Lower left, NGC 6144 cluster. M4 globular cluster is about 7,000 light years away in the contellation Scorpius. On bottom left, the NGC 6144 cluster / Bridgeman Images

PIX4567401: Cite de l'espace - Toulouse - Life-size models of a Soyuz ship and the ERS satellite. Full scale model of a Soyuz spacecraft and ERS - 1 satellite / Bridgeman Images

PIX4567444: Cite de l'espace - Toulouse - Life-size model of the Ariane V rocket and goes from infinity. Full scale model of Ariane V rocket / Bridgeman Images

PIX4567458: Cite de l'espace - Toulouse - L'astralia, le planetarium. / Bridgeman Images

PIX4567475: Cite de l'espace - Toulouse - Le Terradome. La Cité de l'espace is a theme park located in Toulouse, inaugurated in June 1997 / Bridgeman Images

PIX4567490: Vulcan engine. Cite de l'espace - Toulouse - Vulcain engine. Cite de l'espace - Toulouse - Motor Vulcain presented at the Cité de l'espace de Toulouse / Bridgeman Images

TEC4567566: View of Belosselski Belozerski Palace (built in 1750), from the Anichkov Bridge, intersection of the Fontanka River and the Nevsky Perspective. In Saint Petersburg (Russia). / Bridgeman Images

PIX4567707: Double cluster of Persee - Double cluster in Perseus - NGC884, on the left and h Persei NGC869 on the right are located about 7000 years - light in the constellation Persee. The double cluster in the constellation Perseus, normally known by its Greek designation transliterated. chi Persei (NGC884, on the left) and h Persei (NGC869) are about 7000 light - years away and less than 100 light - years apart. Although open clusters are quite common, this pair is exceptional due to the large number of young bright O and B stars in each, and their closeness / Bridgeman Images

PIX4564826: Globular cluster NGC 6401 in Ophiuchus - Globular cluster NGC 6401 in Ophiuchus - The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has used its powerful optics to separate the globular cluster NGC 6401 into its constituent stars. What was once only visible as a ghostly mist in the eyepieces of astronomical instruments has been transformed into a stunning stellar landscape. NGC 6401 can be found within the constellation of Ophiuchus (The Serpent Bearer). The globular cluster itself is relatively faint, so a telescope and some observational experience are required to see it. Globular clusters are very rich, and generally spherical, collections of stars, hence the name. They orbit the cores of galaxies, with the force of gravity also keeping the stars bound as a group. There are around 160 globular clusters associated with our Milky Way, of which NGC 6401 is one. These objects are very old, containing some of the most ancient stars known. However, there are many mysteries surrounding them, with the origin of globular clusters and their role within galaxy evolution not being completely understood. The famous astronomer William Herschel discovered this cluster in 1784 with his 47 cm telescope, but mistakenly believed it to be a bright nebula. Later his son, John Herschel, was to make the same error - - evidently the technology of the day was insufficient to allow the individual stars to be resolved visually. NGC 6401 has confused more modern astronomers as well. In 1977 it was thought that a low - mass star in the cluster had been discovered venting its outer layers (known as a planetary nebula). However, a further study in 1990 concluded that the object is in fact a symbiotic star: a binary composed of a red giant and a small hot star such as a white dwarf, with surrounding nebulosity. It could be that the study in 1977 was simply a few thousand years ahead of its time, as symbiotic stars are thought to become a type of planetary nebula. This picture was created from images taken / Bridgeman Images

PIX4564838: Globular cluster M14 in Ophiuchus - Globular cluster M14 in the constellation Ophiuchus - The globular cluster M14 is located in the constellation Ophiuchus at a distance of about 29,000 years - light; it extends over 72 years - light. M14 is a somewhat looser globular cluster than many, with a very small ellipticity (deviation from being exactly circular on the sky). Appearing in the constellation Ophiuchus, it is about 29000 light - years away and about 72 light - years across / Bridgeman Images

TEC4564964: The port of Gennevilliers (Hauts de Seine). / Bridgeman Images

PIX4565011: Globular cluster M54 in Sagittarius - Globular cluster M54 in Sagittarius - The globular cluster M54 photographed by the Hubble space telescope (HST). M54 resides about 90,000 light years from Earth, in the dwarf galaxy of Sagittarius. The object shown in this beautiful Hubble image, dubbed Messier 54, could be just another globular cluster, but this dense and faint group of stars was in fact the first globular cluster found that is outside our galaxy. Discovered by the famous astronomer Charles Messier in 1778, Messier 54 belongs to a satellite of the Milky Way called the Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy. Messier had no idea of the significance of his discovery at the time, and it wasn't until over two centuries later, in 1994, that astronomers found Messier 54 to be part of the miniature galaxy and not our own. Current estimates indicate that the Sagittarius dwarf, and hence the cluster, is situated almost 90 000 light - years away - - more than three times as far from the centre of our galaxy than the Solar System. Ironically, even though this globular cluster is now understood to lie outside the Milky Way, it will actually become part of it in the future. The strong gravitational pull of our galaxy is slowly engulfing the Sagittarius dwarf, which will eventually merge with the Milky Way creating one much larger galaxy. This picture is a composite created by combining images taken with the Wide Field Channel of Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys. Light that passed through a yellow - orange (F606W) was colored blue and light passing through a near - infrared filter (F814W) was colored red. The total exposure times were 3460 s and 3560 s, respectively and the field of view is approximately 3.4 by 3.4 arcminutes / Bridgeman Images

TEC4567824: The Naval Museum (former Stock Exchange), Vasilievsky Island in St. Petersburg (Russia). Construction 1805- 1810, architect Jean Francois Thomas de Thomon (1760-1813). / Bridgeman Images

PIX4567854: Star Cluster NGC 1872 in Dorado - Star Cluster NGC 1872 in Dorado - The NGC 1872 cluster is located in the galaxy of the Great Magellan Cloud. It is a cluster of globular shape, but young, composed of warm, blue stars. Image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope. This Hubble Space Telescope picture shows NGC 1872, a rich cluster of thousands of stars lying in our small neighbouring galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud. This little - studied cluster is located in the constellation of Dorado. The Scottish astronomer James Dunlop was probably the first to spot NGC 1872 in 1826 with a small telescope near Sydney in Australia. Star clusters are usually classed as either open or globular but NGC 1872 has characteristics of both - - it is as rich as a typical globular but is much younger, and, like many open clusters, has bluer stars. Such intermediate clusters are common in the Large Magellanic Cloud / Bridgeman Images

PIX4567922: Open cluster M37 in the coach - Open star cluster M37 in Auriga - The open cluster M37 (NGC 2099) is located about 4600 years - light from Earth in the constellation of Coach. It contains about 200 stars. The open cluster M37 (NGC 2099) is at approximately 4,600 light - years away from Earth in the Auriga constellation. It contains about 200 stars / Bridgeman Images

PIX4567932: Open cluster M35 and NGC 2158 in Gemeaux - Open clusters M35 and NGC 2158 in Gemini - Open cluster M35 (NGC 2168) is visible to the naked eye under good conditions. NGC 2158, lower right, is weaker and is only observed at the telescope. M35 is about 2800 years of light from Earth and is about 110 million years old. M35 (NGC 2168), at left here, is a spectacular large open cluster containing about 200 stars located in Gemini. Shining at magnitude 5, it is visible to the unaided eye off the foot of Gemini. It is accompanied by a jewel - like smaller companion, open cluster NGC 2158, seen at the lower right of the photo. The smaller cluster is easily resolved in the Astro - Physic's 130 EDT refractor, but many people mistake it for a comet when they observe M35 if they have not seen it before and are not familiar with it / Bridgeman Images

PIX4567942: Open cluster M35 and NGC 2158 in Gemeaux - Open clusters M35 and NGC 2158 in Gemini - Open cluster M35 (NGC 2168) is visible to the naked eye under good conditions. NGC 2158, lower right, is weaker and is only observed at the telescope. M35 is about 2800 years of light from Earth and is about 110 million years old. Open Clusters M35 and NGC 2158 seen in the constellation Gemini. M35 is containing about 200 stars located approximately 2,800 light - years from Earth and estimated to be about 110 million years old. NGC 2158 is visible at bottom right of the image. It is located 4 or 5 times more distant than M35 and is estimated to be about 1 to 1.5 billion years old / Bridgeman Images

PIX4565031: Globular cluster M56 in Lyre - Globular cluster M56 in Lyr / Bridgeman Images

PIX4565068: Globular cluster M71 in the Fleche - Globular cluster M71 in Sagitta - M71 is located about 12,000 light years away from Earth. Image of the central region of the cluster obtained by the Hubble space telescope. This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows a bright scattering of stars in the small constellation of Sagitta (the Arrow). This is the centre of the globular cluster Messier 71, a great ball of ancient stars on the edge of our galaxy around 13,000 light - years from Earth. M71 is around 27 light - years across. Globular clusters are like galactic suburbs, pockets of stars that exist on the edge of major galaxies. These clusters are tightly bound together by their gravitational attraction, hence their spherical shape and their name: globulus means little sphere”” in Latin. Around 150 such globular clusters are known to exist around our Milky Way, each one of them containing several hundred thousand stars. Despite being a familiar object, Messier 71's precise nature was disputed until recently. Was it simply an open cluster, a loosely bound group of stars? This was for many years the dominant view. But in the 1970s, astronomers came to the view that it is in fact a relatively sparse globular cluster. The stars in Messier 71, as is usual in such clusters, are relatively old, at around 9 to 10 billion years, and consequently are low in elements other than hydrogen and helium. / Bridgeman Images

TEC4565148: Meudon (Hauts de Seine). / Bridgeman Images

PIX4565155: Globular cluster M30 in Capricornus - Globular cluster M30 in Capricornus - The globular cluster M30 (NGC 7099) is located about 28,000 light years away from Earth. Globular clusters are generally peoples of very old stars, but here the Hubble space telescope has identified some young stars, blue stragglers. Messier 30 formed 13 billion years ago and was discovered in 1764 by Charles Messier. Located about 28 000 light - years away from Earth, this globular cluster - - a dense swarm of several hundred thousand stars - - is about 90 light - years across. Although globular clusters such as this one are mainly populated by old stars, the crowded field of stars leads to some old stars apparently reclaiming their youth in the form of blue stragglers. Researchers using data from Hubble's now - retired Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) have identified two types of blue stragglers in Messier 30: those that form in near head - on collisions with one another and those that are in twin (or binary) systems where the less massive star siphons “” life - giving”” hydrogen from its more massive companion. This image of Messier 30 (M30) was taken by Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) / Bridgeman Images

TEC4565230: The former funicular of the Lower Meudon (Hauts de Seine). / Bridgeman Images

TEC4565266: L'avenue Le Corbeiller in Meudon (Hauts de Seine). / Bridgeman Images