Quote:
Originally Posted by madbadgalaxyman
Hi Paddy,
As I remarked in previous posts, M11 is arguably a globular cluster.
The radial falloff of the (2-Dimensional) star density and the overall mass of this cluster resemble what is found in a low-mass globular star cluster.
The distinction between high-mass open star clusters and low-mass globular star clusters is increasingly academic;
because of the fact that as the Total Star Cluster Mass progressively increases, the stellar distribution within a cluster increasingly resembles that found in a globular star cluster!
(e.g. the N3603 cluster and the supercompact Star Cluster at the center of the Tarantula Nebula are either high-mass open clusters or low-mass globulars...... 10,000 or more Solar Masses clusters are all very similar to globulars in appearance!)
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Thanks Rob, that's very interesting. For GCs in the Milky Way isn't there also a distinction based on the age of the constituent stars? I know this doesn't fit in the Magellanic Clouds. Any enlightenment on the nature of GCs would be greatly appreciated.