globular cluster

American  

noun

Astronomy.

1. a comparatively older, spherically symmetrical, compact group of up to a million old stars, held together by mutual gravitation, that are located in the galactic halo and move in giant and highly eccentric orbits around the galactic center.

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globular cluster British  

noun

1. astronomy a densely populated spheroidal star cluster with the highest concentration of stars near its centre, found in the galactic halo and in other galaxies

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globular cluster Scientific  

/ glŏb′yə-lər /

1. A spherical mass made up of thousands to hundreds of thousands of densely packed stars of nearly the same age (typically very old). Globular clusters occupy the inner regions of a galactic halo and revolve around the nucleus of galaxies in highly elliptical orbits inclined to the disk of the spiral arms. There are approximately 150 of these clusters in the Milky Way. It is believed that globular clusters can provide information about the evolution and lifespan of stars.

2. Compare open cluster

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Etymology

Origin of globular cluster

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

"It finally links the physics of globular cluster formation with the chemical signatures we observe today."

From Science Daily • Nov. 6, 2025

The globular cluster NGC 1851 is a dense collection of old stars that are much more tightly packed than the stars in the rest of the Galaxy.

From Science Daily • Jan. 18, 2024

The astonishing depth of Euclid’s view is apparent in its picture of NGC 6397, the second-closest globular cluster to Earth.

From Scientific American • Nov. 8, 2023

Located a mere 7,800 light-years from Earth, NGC 6397 is what's termed a globular cluster.

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2023

A globular cluster of stars, orbiting the galactic core.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan