Month: July 2025

STELLAR POPULATION II – Older stars, usually found in globular clusters, with lower metallicity (fewer heavy elements).

STELLAR POPULATION I – Younger stars, typically found in open clusters, composed mostly of heavy elements.

TIDAL DISRUPTION – The process by which stars in a cluster are removed or scattered due to the gravitational influence of a neighboring object or galaxy.

RED GIANTS – A later stage of evolution for stars in a cluster, marked by cooler temperatures and larger size.

BLUE STRAGGLERS – Stars in a cluster that are more massive and hotter than the typical stars at the same age, often formed by mergers.

MAIN SEQUENCE TURNOFF – The point on the H-R diagram where stars leave the main sequence, used to estimate the age of a star cluster.

H-R DIAGRAM – A graphical representation of a star cluster’s stars, showing their luminosity and temperature.

GLOBULAR CLUSTER – A dense, spherical group of older stars, typically containing tens of thousands to millions of stars, found in the galactic halo.

OPEN CLUSTER – A relatively young, loosely bound star cluster, often found in the galactic disk, with hundreds to a few thousand stars.

STAR CLUSTER – A group of stars that are gravitationally bound and formed from the same nebula at roughly the same time.