Globular Clusters Photo Gallery

A globular cluster is a tight collection of stars having a strong spherical symmetry. The star density rapidly increases towards the center of the cluster. Radial velocity studies show that the stars in a globular are gravitationally bound to each other. The typical globular is 100 light years in diameter and contains tens of thousands of stars. These star systems are more than 10 billion years in age making them among the oldest objects in the Milky Way Galaxy.

Over 150 globular clusters are known in the Milky Way and they are distributed in a spherical halo surrounding the galaxy. There may be another 10 to 20 globulars on the opposite side of the galaxy from us but hidden behind the intervening gas and dust in the Milky Way.

The 18th-century French astronomer Charles Messier recorded 29 globular clusters in his Messier Catalog of deep sky objects. Wikipedia contains a very good entry about globular clusters.

Click on each thumbnail to see a larger image.


   

M2-01
M2

globular cluster

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M3

globular cluster

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M4

globular cluster

M5-01
M5

globular cluster

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M9

globular cluster

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M10

globular cluster

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M12

globular cluster

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M13
Hercules Globular
globular cluster

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M14

globular cluster

M15-01
M15
Great Pegasus Cluster
globular cluster

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M19

globular cluster

M22-01
M22
Sagittarius Cluster
globular cluster

M28-01
M28

globular cluster

M30-01
M30

globular cluster

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M53

globular cluster

M54-01
M54

globular cluster

M55-01
M55

globular cluster

M56-01
M56

globular cluster

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M62

globular cluster

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M68

globular cluster

M69-01
M69

globular cluster

M70-01
M70

globular cluster

M71-01
M71

globular cluster

M72-01
M72

globular cluster

M75-01
M75

globular cluster

M79-01
M79

globular cluster

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M80

globular cluster

M92-01
M92

globular cluster

M107-01
M107

globular cluster






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