There are
about 150 known globular clusters
in the Milky Way galaxy, according to Georgia State University's HyperPhysics website. Most are estimated to be at least 10 billion years old, and contain some of the oldest stars in the galaxy.
Are globular clusters part of the Milky Way?
Our own Milky Way has
around 150 globular clusters
, with perhaps more awaiting discovery, hidden by galactic dust. Our neighboring spiral galaxy in the direction of the constellation Andromeda – M31 or the Andromeda galaxy – appears to have around 300 globular clusters.
Where are globular clusters located in the Milky Way?
Globular star clusters are known to be located mostly in
the great spherical halo of the Milky Way
. Spiral galaxies like our Milky Way contain stars, gas and dust, mostly organized into a flat disk containing the spiral arms, but with the addition of a more rounded bulge and halo, centered on the galaxy's center.
Are globular clusters located in our galaxy?
Globular clusters
orbit in the halo of our galaxy, centered on the galaxy's center and expanding above and below the galactic disk
What star clusters are included in the Milky Way?
- View larger at EarthSky Community Photos. …
- The globular cluster Omega Centauri. …
- Globular star clusters are known to be located mostly in the great spherical halo of the Milky Way.
- The globular star cluster 47 Tucanae, via Fred Espenak at AstroPixels.com.
What is the relationship between globular clusters and the Milky Way?
Globular clusters are
nearly spherical groups of about 10,000 to 1 million stars
. A typical galaxy may contain up to a few hundred globular clusters; our galaxy, the Milky Way, has somewhere between 125 and 200 globular clusters orbiting the galactic center
How many globular clusters are in the Milky Way?
There are about
150 known globular clusters
in the Milky Way galaxy, according to Georgia State University's HyperPhysics website. Most are estimated to be at least 10 billion years old, and contain some of the oldest stars in the galaxy.
What is an interesting fact about globular clusters?
It has several hundred thousand stars. A globular cluster is
a group of stars of a similar age which often orbits the central bulge of a galaxy
. Gravity holds clusters together and gives them their spherical shape. Towards the centre of a clusters there are many stars in a relatively small space.
Is a galaxy cluster bigger than a globular cluster?
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. … In other words, the Milky Way Galaxy contains 10 million times more mass than a typical globular cluster.
What if we lived in a globular cluster?
To live on an Earth in a globular cluster would mean that the cluster's stars (if they were like our Sun)
would combine to create a night sky at around 20 times brighter than Earth's night sky at full Moon
.
Which cluster is the youngest?
Within age uncertainties,
Segue 3
appears to be the youngest globular cluster so far known in the halo, or in the whole Galaxy altogether.
Why do globular clusters not collapse?
What keeps these clusters from collapsing is
the angular momentum of the stars as they orbit the cluster's center of mass
. It's the same physics that keeps the solar system from collapsing.
What are two main types of star clusters?
Star cluster, either of two general types of stellar assemblages held together by the mutual gravitational attraction of its members, which are physically related through common origin. The two types are
open (formerly called galactic) clusters and globular clusters
.
What is the closest globular cluster?
M4
, located in the constellation Scorpius, is a huge, spherical collection of stars known as a globular cluster. Just 5,500 light-years away, it is the closest globular cluster to Earth.
Which cluster is more distant?
| Title Name Data | Nearest galaxy cluster Virgo Cluster | Most distant galaxy group | Nearest galaxy group Local Group 0 distance | Nearest neighbouring galaxy group IC 342/Maffei Group |
|---|
How do we know globular clusters are old?
By placing the stars in a globular cluster on a Hertzprung-Russell diagram, astronomers can determine the cluster's age
by looking at the main sequence turnoff point and comparing it with models of stellar evolution
