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How do star clusters stay together?
Star clusters are groupings of stars held together by a common gravitational bond. They vary greatly in size and shape as well as the number of stars. They also vary in age from just thousands of years to billions of years old. Gravity is the force that binds these cosmic swarms together.
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.
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.
What is the difference between an open cluster and a globular cluster?
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.
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.
How do Stars defeat gravity in a globular cluster?
But the stars are moving. And when you have motion, you can defeat gravity for a time. Each star is in orbit around the center of the globular cluster, and the motion of the star in a sideways fashion, combined with the pull of gravity, creates an oval-shaped orbit,…
What are globular clusters?
Globular clusters are old clusters of stars that have remained in a gravitationally bound system. These clusters are usually roughly spherical and can contain anywhere from a few thousand to a million stars.
What happens if a cluster gets too close to a galaxy?
This orbit takes a very long time to complete, and it seems that many globular clusters can successfully orbit the galaxy without getting too near — but if the cluster does get too near, then the cluster will experience an intense tidal force because of the gravitational pull of the galaxy.
How do Astronomers study the Milky Way galaxy?
As such, astronomers use them to study our galaxy’s early history to learn more about what the Milky Way was like when these stars formed. 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.