Interesting Facts About Star Cluster

Posted by Stocktrekimages on November 21st, 2013

As we all know, the universe is an amazing place, full of facts and mysteries. It is the totality of all the space, matter, energy, stars, galaxies, planets and more. There are many hidden mysteries in the Universe that are awe-inspiring than the birth of a star. When you look at the sky during the night, stars can be seen in different directions. Sometimes, you get a chance to see a group of stars that share a common origin; these are known as star clusters. Star clusters are considered as the group of stars that are held together by a common gravitational bond. On the basis of shape and size, astronomers have divided them into two main categories: open clusters and globular clusters.

Open Cluster: This giant molecular cloud is held together by mutual gravitational attraction. Studies have shown that there are 1,100 open clusters within the Milky Way Galaxy, and many more are thought to exist. Many open clusters such as the Pleiades and the Hyades are large enough to be seen with your naked eye. Some others, such as double clusters are barely seen without an instrument. Most of the open clusters have a short life. As they drift along their orbits, most of the stars escape the cluster due to velocity changes and tidal forces in the galactic gravitational field.

Globular Clusters: A global cluster is known as a gravitational bond that consists of a concentration of 10,000 stars. There are about 150 to 158 globular clusters present in the Milky way. They are generally composed of hundreds of thousands of old stars and are free of gas and dust. In a globular cluster, the distance between each member is about 1 light year. But at its core, the separation is comparable to the size of the solar system. Globular clusters possess a high density ratio of stars that increases continuously by 100 to 1000 stars per cubic parsec in the core of the cluster. Most importantly, these groups of stars are among the oldest objects in the Universe and are very large clusters of very old stars which revolve around the center of our galaxy – the Milky Way.

Stocktrek offers a bright and colorful collection of star clusters captured by professional photographers throughout the world. We are a central source for stellar images of astronomical discoveries, space art, and the infinite extent of the Universe. Browse through our online gallery and you will find an amazing collection of open clusters, globular clusters and astronomy images from other categories.

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