Star cluster

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/star-cluster

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the formation mechanism?Stars within a cluster originate from a single, gravitationally collapsing molecular cloud
2. What are the two main types of star clusters?The two main types are globular clusters, which are very old and packed with many stars, and open clusters, which are younger and have fewer stars.
3. Why do open clusters break apart over time?Open clusters have weaker gravity and can be pulled apart by nearby giant clouds or the galaxy’s tidal forces, so stars slowly drift away and the cluster dissolves.

Self-gravitation: The collective gravitational attraction of all matter within a system, holding it together.
Stellar Association: A gravitationally unbound but kinematically coherent group of young stars, often remnants of disrupted clusters.
Tidal Forces: Gravitational forces exerted by a larger body that can stretch or tear apart smaller objects.
Color-Magnitude Diagram: A plot of stellar brightness versus stellar color, used to determine a cluster's age and evolutionary state.