Star Clusters

Star clusters are groups of stars physically bound together by gravity and formed from the same original cloud of gas and dust. They are divided into two main categories: open clusters and globular clusters, which differ greatly in structure, age and stellar population.

Open clusters are relatively young, loosely bound groups containing from a few dozen to several thousand stars. They are found mainly within the disk of the Milky Way and gradually disperse over time.

Globular clusters are much older, massive and densely packed spherical systems containing tens of thousands to millions of stars. They are among the oldest structures in our Galaxy and are found mainly in the galactic halo, surrounding the Milky Way.