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Star clusters7/11/2023 They can survive for billions of years, holding some of the oldest stars in the universe. There are three different types of star clusters, which range in size, composition, and number of stars.Īncient and giant, globular star clusters are stellar "dinosaurs" scattered throughout the universe. Star clusters can contain anywhere from as few as a dozen stars to upwards of millions, and those stars can be spread out over a few light-years to hundreds of light-years. Others might hold smaller, cooler stars that age and change over billions of years. Some clusters might contain big, hot O-type stars, which are stars that burn out quickly and explode as supernovae within millions of years. Additionally, ultraviolet light, stellar winds, and supernovae can all blow gas and dust out of the star cluster, halting new star formation.ĭifferent types of stars have different life spans, so clusters will change over time as stars evolve. Over time, some stars will leave the cluster, either by slowly dispersing or being ejected, while others will die in the cluster. When conditions are right for one star to form, often multiple stars will form and create a cluster. Once born, the longest-lived stars may survive for 10 billion years or more. ![]() ![]() The process of creating a star takes about a million years. This hot core, known as a protostar, can continue to accumulate matter and evolve into a star. As the cloud collapses and the pressure starts to build, its core will heat up. Gravity causes this gas (primarily hydrogen) and dust to collapse. Stars are born within clouds of gas and dust when the conditions are just right. This image, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), shows the globular star cluster Omega Centauri which is located about 15,790 light-years from Earth.
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