Among its other attractions, the Milky Way is peppered with about 150 globular clusters: round concentrations of stars that have existed since the galaxy was young.

This sculpture is a many-body simulation tuned to match M13, a famous cluster in Hercules.  Among its stars there's a sprinkle of larger points representing red giants and horizontal branch stars, showing their concentration near the cluster's center.

In 1974, M13 was selected as a target for one of the first radio messages addressed to possible extra-terrestrial beings, sent by the Arecibo radio telescope.  If anyone is there when it arrives 26,000 years from now, they are living under a skyful of stars as bright as our moon.

Globular Cluster, 60mm glass cube – $35

Without illumination the crystal works best on a dark background.  It comes with clear rubber feet to avoid scratching your desk or mantel. On the left, this light base is a great way to light up your object!  It's made of black Formica and has white LEDs that are cool, long-lasting and energy-efficient.  Bright enough for the office by day, or a brilliant nightlight. Light base – $20