Astronomy:List of largest star clusters

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Omega Centauri, one of the largest star clusters.

Below is a list of the largest known star clusters, ordered by diameter in light years, above the size of 50 light years in diameter. This list includes globular clusters, open clusters, super star clusters, and other types.

List

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List of largest known star clusters
Cluster name Diameter (light-years) Type of cluster Notes
Palomar 12 324[1] Globular cluster Associated with the Sagittarius Stream, possibly captured from the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy. Might be the largest star cluster in the Milky Way.
Terzan 7 316[2] Within the main body of the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy.
Messier 54 306[3] The brightest globular cluster of the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy, appears to reside at its core.
NGC 339 238[4] Located in the Small Magellanic Cloud.
Messier 3 226[5] Quite isolated at 31.6 kly (9.7 kpc) above the Galactic plane and roughly 38.8 kly (11.9 kpc) from the center of the Milky Way.
Messier 11 (Wild Duck Cluster) 190[6] Open cluster
Messier 2 174.4[7] Globular cluster In the southern galactic cap of the Milky Way's galactic halo.
Omega Centauri 172 ± 12[8] Might be the largest globular cluster in the Milky Way.[9] Possibly a core of an absorbed dwarf galaxy.[10]
Messier 13 168[11]
Messier 15 166[12]
Palomar 5 152[13]
Messier 75 126[14]
47 Tucanae 120[15]
Messier 68 106[16]
Messier 22 100 ± 10[17] One of the first star clusters ever discovered.[18]
Messier 14 100[17]
Messier 62 98[19]
Messier 55 96[20]
NGC 265 94[21] Open cluster
Messier 69 90[22] Globular cluster
Messier 9 90[23]
Messier 56 84[24]
Messier 10 83.2[25]
NGC 3201 80[26]
Messier 107 79[27]
Messier 46 75.6[28] Open cluster
Messier 4 75[29] Globular cluster Nearest globular cluster to the Earth. Also the first globular cluster known to have exoplanets (PSR B1620-26b)
Messier 12 74.4[30]
Messier 70 68[31]
NGC 290 66[32] Open cluster
Messier 28 60[33] Globular cluster
Messier 18 52.4[34] Open cluster
The following notable star clusters are listed for the purpose of comparison.
MGC1 49 (half-light), 7,800 (tidal)[35] Globular cluster
Mayall II 42±1 (half-light), 526±25.4 (tidal)[36]
Pleiades 40.68[37] Open cluster Nearest Messier Object to Earth and the easiest to see in the night sky.
RSGC2 (Stephenson 2) 26.1[38]
Alpha Persei cluster 22.8[39]
Jewel Box 20[40]
Hyades 17.6[41] Nearest open cluster
Beehive Cluster (Praesepe) 15[42]
RSGC1 9.78 ± 1.96[43]
Westerlund 1 (Ara Cluster) 6.52[44] Super Star Cluster/Open cluster

See also

  • List of most massive star clusters

References

  1. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 162 ly. radius
  2. ↑ "Terzan 7 @ seds". http://spider.seds.org/spider/MWGC/ter07.html. 
  3. ↑ From trigonometry: radius = distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 153 ly.
  4. ↑ "Angular Size calculator". http://1728.org/angsize.htm. 
  5. ↑ Brosche, P.; Odenkirchen, M.; Geffert, M. (March 1999). "Instantaneous and average tidal radii of globular clusters". New Astronomy 4 (2): 133–139. doi:10.1016/S1384-1076(99)00014-7. Bibcode: 1999NewA....4..133B. 
  6. ↑ Santos, J. F. C. Jr. et al. (October 2005), "Structure and stellar content analysis of the open cluster M 11 with 2MASS photometry", Astronomy and Astrophysics 442 (1): 201–209, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20053378, Bibcode: 2005A&A...442..201S. 
  7. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 87.3 ly. radius
  8. ↑ distance × sin(diameter_angle / 2), using distance of 5 kpc and angle 36.3′, = 86 ± 6 ly radius
  9. ↑ "Omega Centauri: The Largest Globular Cluster". http://www.universeforfacts.com/2013/11/omega-centauri-largest-globular-cluster.html. 
  10. ↑ "Astronomers Find Suspected Medium-Size Black Hole in Omega Centauri" (Press release). 2008-04-02. Retrieved 2009-11-06.
  11. ↑ distance × sin(diameter_angle / 2) = 84 ly radius
  12. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 88 ly radius
  13. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 76 ly. radius
  14. ↑ From trigonometry: radius = distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 67 ly.
  15. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 60 ly. radius
  16. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 53 ly. radius
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 From trigonometry: radius = distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 50 ly
  18. ↑ Monaco, L.; Pancino, E.; Ferraro, F. R.; Bellazzini, M. (2004). "Wide-field photometry of the Galactic globular cluster M22". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 349 (4): 1278–1290. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.07599.x. Bibcode: 2004MNRAS.349.1278M. 
  19. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 49 ly. radius
  20. ↑ From trigonometry: radius = distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 17,600 × sin(19′/2) = 48.6 ly.
  21. ↑ Nayak, P. K. et al. (September 2018). "Star clusters in the Magellanic Clouds. II. Age-dating, classification, and spatio-temporal distribution of the SMC clusters". Astronomy & Astrophysics 616: 24. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201732227. A187. Bibcode: 2018A&A...616A.187N. 
  22. ↑ From trigonometry: distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 28,700 × 0.00157 = 45 ly. radius
  23. ↑ Boyles, J.; Lorimer, D. R.; Turk, P. J.; Mnatsakanov, R.; Lynch, R. S.; Ransom, S. M.; Freire, P. C.; Belczynski, K. (2011-11-20). "Young Radio Pulsars in Galactic Globular Clusters". The Astrophysical Journal 742 (1): 51. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/742/1/51. ISSN 0004-637X. Bibcode: 2011ApJ...742...51B. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0004-637X/742/1/51. Retrieved 2023-12-20. 
  24. ↑ From trigonometry: radius = distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 32,900 × sin(8.8′/2) = 42.1 ly.
  25. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 41.6 ly. radius
  26. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 40 ly. radius
  27. ↑ From trigonometry: distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 39.5 ly. radius
  28. ↑ Piskunov, A. E.; Schilbach, E.; Kharchenko, N. V.; Röser, S.; Scholz, R.-D. (June 2007). "Towards absolute scales for the radii and masses of open clusters". Astronomy & Astrophysics 468 (1): 151–161. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20077073. ISSN 0004-6361. Bibcode: 2007A&A...468..151P. http://www.aanda.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20077073. 
  29. ↑ Plotner, Tammy (February 22, 2016). "Messier 4 (M4) – The NGC 6121 Globular Cluster". https://www.universetoday.com/31147/messier-4/. 
  30. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 37.2 ly radius
  31. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 34 ly. radius
  32. ↑ "Open Star Cluster NGC 290". April 18, 2006. https://sci.esa.int/web/hubble/-/39110-open-star-cluster-ngc-290. 
  33. ↑ From trigonometry: radius = distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 30 ly
  34. ↑ Joshi, Y. C. et al. (October 2016), "Study of open clusters within 1.8 kpc and understanding the Galactic structure", Astronomy & Astrophysics 593: 13, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201628944, A116, Bibcode: 2016A&A...593A.116J. 
  35. ↑ MacKey, A. D; Ferguson, A. M. N; Irwin, M. J; Martin, N. F; Huxor, A. P; Tanvir, N. R; Chapman, S. C; Ibata, R. A et al. (2010). "Deep Gemini/GMOS imaging of an extremely isolated globular cluster in the Local Group". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 401 (1): 533–546. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15678.x. Bibcode: 2010MNRAS.401..533M. 
  36. ↑ Ma, J.; de Grijs, R.; Chen, D.; van den Bergh, S.; Fan, Z.; Wu, Z.; Wu, H.; Zhou, X. et al. (April 2007). "Structural parameters of Mayall II = G1 in M31". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 376 (4): 1621–1629. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.11573.x. Bibcode: 2007MNRAS.376.1621M. 
  37. ↑ Danilov, Vladimir M.; Seleznev, Anton F. (October 2020). "On the Motion of Stars in the Pleiades according to Gaia DR2 Data". Astrophysical Bulletin 75 (4): 407–424. doi:10.1134/S1990341320040045. ISSN 1990-3413. Bibcode: 2020AstBu..75..407D. 
  38. ↑ Davies, B.; Figer, D. F.; Kudritzki, R. P.; MacKenty, J.; Najarro, F.; Herrero, A. (2007). "A Massive Cluster of Red Supergiants at the Base of the Scutum-Crux Arm". The Astrophysical Journal 671 (1): 781–801. doi:10.1086/522224. Bibcode: 2007ApJ...671..781D. 
  39. ↑ Lodieu, N.; Pérez-Garrido, A.; Smart, R. L.; Silvotti, R. (2019-08-01). "A 5D view of the α Per, Pleiades, and Praesepe clusters". Astronomy and Astrophysics 628: A66. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201935533. ISSN 0004-6361. Bibcode: 2019A&A...628A..66L. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019A%26A...628A..66L. Retrieved 2024-12-22. 
  40. ↑ "Jewel Box Cluster". January 31, 2015. https://www.constellation-guide.com/jewel-box-cluster/. 
  41. ↑ Perryman, M. A. C.; Brown, A. G. A.; Lebreton, Y.; Gomez, A.; Turon, C.; de Strobel, G. Cayrel; Mermilliod, J. C.; Robichon, N. et al. (1998), "The Hyades: distance, structure, dynamics, and age", Astron. Astrophys. 331: 81, Bibcode: 1998A&A...331...81P 
  42. ↑ "The Beehive Cluster". July 19, 2021. https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/astrophotography/stars/star-clusters/beehive-cluster. 
  43. ↑ Davies, B.; Figer, D. F.; Law, C. J.; Kudritzki, R. P.; Najarro, F.; Herrero, A.; MacKenty, J. W. (2008). "The Cool Supergiant Population of the Massive Young Star Cluster RSGC1". The Astrophysical Journal 676 (2): 1016–1028. doi:10.1086/527350. ISSN 0004-637X. Bibcode: 2008ApJ...676.1016D. 
  44. ↑ Portegies Zwart, Simon F.; McMillan, Stephen L.W.; Gieles, Mark (2010). "Young Massive Star Clusters". Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics 48: 431–493. doi:10.1146/annurev-astro-081309-130834. Bibcode: 2010ARA&A..48..431P. 



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