Table of Contents
- 1 What are globular clusters and where are they found?
- 2 What is an example of a globular cluster?
- 3 Is a globular cluster a galaxy?
- 4 Why do stars form in clusters?
- 5 Do globular clusters have planets?
- 6 Why are there clusters of stars?
- 7 What are the differences between globular clusters and galactic clusters in the Milky Way?
What are globular clusters and where are they found?
Bottom line: Globular clusters are spherical collections of stars, orbiting mostly in the star halo of spiral galaxies. Our Milky Way galaxy has about 150 globulars, which contain some of our galaxy’s oldest stars.
What is an example of a globular cluster?
These are globular clusters within the halo of the Milky Way galaxy….Milky Way.
| Identifier | Omega Centauri |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Apparent Magnitude | 3.9 |
| Diameter (′) | 55 |
| Distance (kpc) | 4.84 |
Is a globular cluster a galaxy?
Globular clusters aren’t considered galaxies because they are gravitationally bound to and orbiting galaxies like the Milky Way, and they have relatively small masses. The stars in a globular cluster are 50 times closer to each other than the stars in our solar neighborhood.
What are the differences between open star clusters and globular?
Globular clusters are old clusters of stars that have remained in a gravitationally bound system. Open clusters are much younger and smaller than globular clusters. They are the recent birthplaces of new stars, which form out of clouds of dust and gas, and contain only hundreds or thousands of stars.
Where are globular clusters primarily found?
Globular clusters contain thousands of stars, all closely packed together. They are found mainly in the halo of the galaxy.
Why do stars form in clusters?
When stars are born they develop from large clouds of molecular gas. This means that they form in groups or clusters, since molecular clouds are composed of hundreds of solar masses of material. After the remnant gas is heated and blow away, the stars collect together by gravity.
Do globular clusters have planets?
Because globular clusters are deficient in heavier elements, some astronomers have long believed that globular clusters cannot contain planets. Hubble revealed that the planet is in an unlikely place. It orbits two captured stars: a helium white dwarf and a rapidly spinning neutron star near the core of M4.
Why are there clusters of stars?
Embedded clusters form in molecular clouds, when the clouds begin to collapse and form stars. There is often ongoing star formation in these clusters, so embedded clusters may be home to various types of young stellar objects including protostars and pre-main-sequence stars.
Do globular cluster stars have planets?
What kind of stars are in globular clusters?
Globular clusters are generally composed of hundreds of thousands of low-metal, old stars. The stars found in a globular cluster are similar to those in the bulge of a spiral galaxy but confined to a spheroid in which half the light is emitted within a radius of only a few to a few tens of parsecs.
What are the differences between globular clusters and galactic clusters in the Milky Way?
Globular clusters are filled with old stars – some are even old cores of galaxies that were cannibalized by our Milky Way, whereas Open clusters are filled with young stars that were born in a nebula and have drifted apart, and. Where they are typically found.