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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

Milky Way Halo Extending our home galaxy September 29, 2016

Messier 39 Taking a wider view of a star cluster September 4, 2016

Shredded Cluster Shredding an ancient star cluster August 17, 2016

Milky Way Hiding behind a cosmic haze July 29, 2016

Scorpius Clusters Families of stars in the scorpion July 24, 2016

Heaviest Star A star with a weight problem July 6, 2016

Renegade Stars Two renegades in the Big Dipper June 26, 2016

Leaving the Nest A bright star leaves its birthplace April 30, 2016

Building a Civilization Hopping from star to star April 6, 2016

M13 Sending a long-distance message April 5, 2016

Zeta Herculis Stellar siblings spread out April 4, 2016

Making Stars Ways to make stellar companions March 14, 2016

IC 1396 A busy stellar nursery January 28, 2016

Winter Milky Way Adding to the winter Milky Way January 27, 2016

Caroline’s Cluster A surprising star cluster January 14, 2016

Double Cluster A pair of vigorous star clusters October 4, 2015

Faintest Cluster A faint cluster that’s doomed October 3, 2015

Messier 22 “Discovering” an ancient star cluster August 23, 2015

Polaris Flare A future stellar nursery August 19, 2015

First Stars II Brilliant clusters in the early universe July 16, 2015

Venus in the Beehive Closing in on a beehive June 6, 2015

Omega Centauri Alien visitors from other galaxies May 25, 2015

M92 An ancient family of stars May 12, 2015

M13 A cluster of old, faint stars May 11, 2015

M87 Cluster A cosmic bullet from a black hole April 24, 2015

M3 Reinvigorating some old stars March 16, 2015

Pandora’s Cluster Mapping a galactic pile-up March 9, 2015

On the Frontier Pushing the intergalactic frontier March 8, 2015

Morning Moon A bright future for the scorpion February 11, 2015

Moon and Taurus Families of stars flank the Moon September 12, 2014

M15 A fading family of ancient stars September 10, 2014

Old Family Looking into an old stellar family July 25, 2014

Outcast Star A stellar outcast in the Big Dipper July 21, 2014

Moon and Antares Siblings that age at different rates July 7, 2014

Serpens South Young stars that are hidden from view June 23, 2014

Disappearing Cluster An evaporating star cluster June 1, 2014

Messier 3 Tracking down false comets May 27, 2014

Hercules Cluster A starry realm without night May 26, 2014

Globular Clusters Stellar neighborhoods where it never gets dark May 25, 2014

Galactic Archaeology Digging into the history of the galaxy March 23, 2014

Castor Rare sextuplets among the stars February 28, 2014

Rosette Nebula A colorful stellar birthplace February 27, 2014

NGC 2264 Lighting up a stellar nursery February 25, 2014

Evening Clusters Star clusters for the charioteer January 18, 2014

Escaped Star A star that escaped from its nest November 28, 2013

Merging Stars Two stars that become one October 4, 2013

The Coathanger Gazing deep into a coat hanger September 25, 2013

M18 A faint cluster with a bright pedigree August 24, 2013

M4 An ancient city of stars August 3, 2013

Megrez Holding together the Big Dipper July 26, 2013

M13 Some bright stellar mysteries May 18, 2013

Hercules The strongman strides across the night sky May 17, 2013

Keeping Tabs Keeping an eye on a fuzzy foot May 7, 2013

Star Factory A massive factory for making stars May 1, 2013

Coma Star Cluster Golden tresses and glistening stars April 17, 2013

Moon in Taurus Drawing some stellar pictures April 12, 2013

The Beehive Brightening up a meager constellation February 14, 2013

Double Cluster Sparkling stellar jewels February 9, 2013

Nowhere to Hide Hiding in plain sight January 30, 2013

M31’s Central Cluster Bright stars around a galaxy’s dark heart January 28, 2013

M35 A crowded stellar neighborhood January 17, 2013

M2 A distant home for old stars January 5, 2013

Mirfak The hero’s brightest star October 28, 2012

Capricornus The edge of the celestial sea October 11, 2012

M11 A flock of young stars August 8, 2012

Galactic Nests Keeping the chicks close to the nest July 21, 2012

Family Breakup A stellar family breaks up June 7, 2012

Hercules Cloud Piling up stars in the outer galaxy May 23, 2012

Hercules Cluster A crowded “city” of stars May 22, 2012

Cosmic Clocks The ticking of cosmic clocks April 11, 2012

Alien Clusters Alien visitors from other galaxies March 22, 2012

Moon and Taurus The Moon and two stellar families February 27, 2012

Moon and Hyades Staring into the face of the bull January 4, 2012

M15 Debating a medium-sized black hole October 21, 2011

Alpha Persei Cluster Tracing a galactic cataclysm October 8, 2011

Milky Way’s Heart V Youngsters at the heart of the Milky Way September 29, 2011

Milky Way’s Heart II A sky-spanning marquee of stars September 26, 2011

M2 An ancient family of stars September 16, 2011

Serpens Splitting up a faint constellation September 13, 2011

M7 A bright but distant star cluster August 27, 2011

TW Hydra Watching some stellar infants April 24, 2011

Cancer A famous but faint constellation March 11, 2011

M46 and M47 Two prominent "families" of stars... February 25, 2011

Moving Dipper A stellar family spreads out February 24, 2011

NGC 1502 A necklace for the celestial giraffe January 5, 2011

Featured Images

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
Elephant Trunk Nebulan

Elephant's Trunk October 12, 2014
Hubble image of star cluster M15

Old Family September 11, 2014
Infrared view of Serpens South star cluster and nebula

Unmasking Hidden Stars June 24, 2014
M44, the Beehive Cluster

Vanishing Beehive June 2, 2014
NGC 3590

Young and Future Stars May 22, 2014
Close-up of the core of M31

M31 Blues January 29, 2013
Hubble Space Telescope view of globular cluster M2

Stars Galore January 6, 2013
Omega Centauri, the possible core of a defunct galaxy

Invader! March 23, 2012
Two globular clusters; a previously known one at right, and a new one in circle

Star City October 19, 2011
The star cluster M7

Aging Family August 28, 2011
A "family" of young stars shows off in this combined infrared and X-ray view of

Big Family May 14, 2010
Hercules, the strongman, climbs into good view on May evenings

Not-So-Mighty Hercules May 3, 2010

Youthful Oldies March 4, 2010