... Star Atlas . ... Nearby star cluster discovered to be useful in studies of Sun and search for Earth-like planets . For the first time, scientists have a useful laboratory in which to search for and study bright stars of similar mass and age to the Sun. ... Eventually, it is going to let us find and study nearby stars with a mass like the Sun's to help in the hunt for Earth-like planets and to test and improve the models astronomers use to understand the evolution of stars, including our own Sun." ...