What are star clusters?

Star clusters are groups of stars that hang out together in space, just like kids in a playground.

Imagine you're playing tag with your friends at recess, everyone is running around, but you all stay close to each other. That’s kind of what happens in a star cluster. Instead of running, the stars are floating through space, and they’re all connected by gravity, like invisible strings that keep them together.

Some star clusters are tight-knit groups, like a small group of friends working on a project together. These are called open clusters. You can see them clearly, kind of like how you can see a small group of kids playing near the swings.

Other star clusters are huge, packed with lots of stars, think of a big crowd at a concert. These are called globular clusters, and they have thousands or even millions of stars all squeezed together, like a giant ball of glitter in space!

Stars in clusters often look similar to each other because they were born from the same cloud of gas and dust, just like siblings who share the same parents!