Globular Clusters

Looking like globe-shaped cotton balls, the known globular clusters number about 125 in our own galaxy. They are distributed spherically around the galaxy, but are more concentrated near the Galactic center.

Globulars are old - evidence for this is that the brightest stars are red. RR Lyrae variable stars abound in globulars.

Globulars range in size from a little under 100 light years across to about 400 light years. Their stars number from tens of thousands, up to hundreds of thousands.

Most globulars orbit the center of the Milky Way on eccentric and highly-inclined orbits.

Click on a thumbnail image to see the full size image.


M2, NGC 7089


M3, NGC 5272


M4, NGC 6121


M10, NGC 6254


M12, NGC 6218


M13, NGC 6205


M15, NGC 7078


M19, NGC 6273


M28, NGC 6626


M30, NGC 7099


M53, NGC 5024


M54, NGC 6715


M55, NGC 6809


M56, NGC 6779


M69, NGC 6637


M70, NGC 6681


M71, NGC 6838


M72, NGC 6981


M79, NGC 1904


M80, NGC 6093


M92, NGC 6341


M107, NGC 6171



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Last updated on 11-02-99.
Email:jbruton @northlink.com