You are here

Star Clusters

A grouping of the same types of astronomical objects. For example, stars in the Milky Way can group together into open clusters or globular clusters. Galaxies also group together into cluster of galaxies, and the clusters of galaxies group together into superclusters of galaxies.

Resources

Aquarius

Aquarius October 4, 2011
Cancer, the Crab

Cancer, the Crab October 4, 2011

Radio Programs

Owl Cluster Nailing down membership in a star cluster September 18, 2022

Messier 39 The right tool for a star cluster September 4, 2022

Messier 71 Changing views of a star cluster July 5, 2022

Terzan 5 A tightly packed star cluster May 20, 2022

Messier 5 Early residents of the Milky Way May 18, 2022

Alkaid An outcast in the Big Dipper May 8, 2022

Old Neighborhood A neighborhood of ancient stars April 30, 2022

Messier 35 A crowded stellar neighborhood April 27, 2022

Misleading Stars A star cluster with the blues April 4, 2022

Moon and Taurus The bull’s features fall apart March 8, 2022

Messier 15 Relics from the early universe October 3, 2021

Double Cluster Doubling up on star clusters September 19, 2021

Serpens South Young stars that are hidden from view August 7, 2021

Black Holes Galore Black holes everywhere you look June 25, 2021

Mars and the Beehive Looking at a place where suns were born June 23, 2021

Hercules Cluster A starry realm that never gets dark June 2, 2021

Puppis Clusters A busy season of discoveries April 2, 2021

M48 A family of stars that’s falling apart March 13, 2021

Blue Stragglers Rejuvenating some old stars January 19, 2021

Messier 35 The crowded skies of M35 January 8, 2021

Alpha Persei The leader of a young star cluster November 26, 2020

Impressive Clusters A land of monster star clusters August 20, 2020

Sagittarius Cluster Extra black holes in a star cluster August 17, 2020

Population II Stars Stars young and old in the Milky Way August 11, 2020

Serpens Nurseries Busy nurseries in the serpent July 6, 2020

Nesting Stars Keeping the chicks close to the nest June 26, 2020

Omega Centauri The remnant of a one-time galaxy June 1, 2020

Ophiuchan Clusters A plenitude of star clusters May 31, 2020

Southern Pinwheel Pinwheeling across the southern sky April 28, 2020

Messier 53 Stars all around, galaxy below April 27, 2020

Counting Candles Counting stellar birthday candles March 20, 2020

Dubhe Pulling apart the Big Dipper February 2, 2020

Unicorn Clouds Young stars for the unicorn January 26, 2020

Auriga Clusters Clustering around the charioteer December 15, 2019

Adopted Cluster The Milky Way adopts a star cluster November 30, 2019

Spicy Clusters Making sausage in the Milky Way November 29, 2019

Messy Births The messy process of making planets October 24, 2019

Messier 7 A far but bright star cluster August 24, 2019

Moon and Aldebaran Escaping from the face of the bull August 23, 2019

Visiting a Cluster Paying a call on a star cluster August 2, 2019

Messier 11 Fast living for stellar siblings July 29, 2019

The Coathanger Hanging up a star cluster June 22, 2019

Messier 10 Rejuvenation for some old stars June 19, 2019

Messier 3 A cluster with a great view April 29, 2019

Arcturus Stream Streaming through the galaxy April 9, 2019

Denebola The lion’s tail gets away from home March 30, 2019

Double Cluster Sparkling stellar jewels March 3, 2019

Messier 37 Taking the age of a star cluster December 16, 2018

Pleiades Twin A “twin” of the Seven Sisters November 30, 2018

NGC 6791 A galactic survivor November 19, 2018

Timing a Black Hole Delicate timing for a dead star October 26, 2018

Messier 30 An interloper from another galaxy October 10, 2018

Moon and Antares Impressive groups of stars September 15, 2018

NGC 6397 Taking the measure of a star cluster August 12, 2018

Palomar 5 Tracing the bulk of the Milky Way July 11, 2018

Building Big Black Holes Building bigger black holes June 26, 2018

IC 4665 A cluster that kept getting discovered June 8, 2018

More Hercules Some of the galaxy’s oldest residents May 15, 2018

Hercules The strongman climbs high May 14, 2018

Close Clusters Two star clusters that stick together May 12, 2018

Coma Star Cluster Counting up a stellar family May 10, 2018

NGC 2467 Three clusters for the price of one April 10, 2018

Hyades Planets Looking into a stellar laboratory April 5, 2018

The Hyades The bull’s disintegrating face April 4, 2018

Messier 48 A cluster that was discovered twice February 11, 2018

Pleiades The odds of making a star cluster November 23, 2017

Rogue Clusters “Cities of stars” between galaxies November 17, 2017

New Cluster Hiding behind a bright star September 18, 2017

M71 A star cluster faces a rough ride August 28, 2017

Wild Duck Cluster Measuring the age of some wild ducks August 27, 2017

Future Resident A future resident of the Milky Way August 11, 2017

Messier 5 Some of the oldest stars in the galaxy June 11, 2017

Middleweight Black Hole Evidence of a middleweight black hole April 27, 2017

NGC 1502 A string of jewels for the giraffe January 26, 2017

Featured Images

Sparse Cluster September 4, 2022
hubble space telescope view of the globular cluster Terzan 5

Stellar Graveyard May 20, 2022
hubble space telescope view of glubular cluster Messier 5

Old Family May 18, 2022
Messier 15, a globular star cluster

Relics October 3, 2021
double cluster in perseus

Double the Beauty September 19, 2021

Star Stream June 18, 2021

Starry Realm June 2, 2021
Star cluster M47

Blue Gems April 2, 2021
SDSS view of Messier 48

Disintegrating Family March 13, 2021
Messier 50/NGC 2323

Young Family January 30, 2021
messier 35 and ngc 2158

Crowded Skies January 8, 2021
Caroline's Rose

Caroline's Rose September 9, 2020
Messier 22

Lightness and Darkness August 17, 2020
Messier 34 and Messier 36

Young and Younger March 20, 2020
Messier 2

Spicy Cluster November 29, 2019
NGC 604 in the Triangulum Galaxy

Star Factory November 17, 2019
Messier 7

Distant Sparklers August 24, 2019
Messier 11

A Big Cluster July 29, 2019
Messier 10

Crowded Cluster June 19, 2019
HST view of M3

Stars Everywhere April 29, 2019
star cluster HP 1, near the center of the Milky Way

Galactic Pioneers March 22, 2019
Double Cluster

Seeing Double March 3, 2019
Hubble view of NGC 6791

Old Stars November 19, 2018
Hubble Space Telescope view of NGC 6624

Home to a Black Hole? October 26, 2018
Hubble Space Telescope view of Messier 30

Bright Interloper October 10, 2018
Hubble view of NGC 6397, a globular star cluster

Stellar Lab August 12, 2018
Melotte 111 star cluster from international space station

Counting Stars May 10, 2018
Hubble view of NGC 2467

Starry Lineup April 10, 2018
messier 48

Double Discovery February 11, 2018
Messier 11, the Wild Duck Cluster

Wild Duck August 27, 2017
HST view of 47 Tucanae

Star Globe May 9, 2017
Ground-based view of M39 star cluster

Sparkling Cluster September 4, 2016
R136, a massive star cluster in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Biggest of the Big July 6, 2016
A star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Busy Nursery June 18, 2016
The Pleiades star cluster

Seven Sisters November 9, 2015
Two views of Messier 22

Stellar Sparkler August 24, 2015
Hubble Space Telescope view of the core of M13, a globular cluster in Hercules

Old Sparklers May 12, 2015
Hubble Space Telescope image of a young star cluster

Anniversary Portrait April 23, 2015
M3, a globular star cluster

Reborn Stars March 17, 2015