To search for an advanced civilization, take a U-turn to star clusters

Stable galactic neighborhoods, easy planet-hopping could provide long-term safe haven for life

Hercules Cluster

PRIME REAL ESTATE  Hundreds of thousands of stars fill the Hercules Cluster, seen in this Hubble image. Such a cluster could be an ideal cradle for long-lived advanced civilizations, a new study suggests.

Hubble/NASA, ESA

KISSIMMEE, Fla.