globular clusters

[ving (David)]

ooook!
I have never had this question answered by anyone (including experts)...

How are globular clusters formed?

I know that gravity holds them together but how do they get like that in the first place?

[iceman (Mike)]

Someone asked me that question the other week, I didn't have an answer for them either!

Are they formed from left-over galaxies or something?

[rumples riot]

I think the current theory is that Globulars are left over from the absorption of smaller galaxies with our own Milky Way. The theory suggests that the smaller galaxies were likely to be either irregular or eliptical galaxies. Just like the SMC and the LMC which are currently being absorbed by the Milky Way.

Hope that I answered your question.

Paul

[iceman (Mike)]

I rang Fred Watson this morning when he was on the ABC with Angela Catterns, and asked him this question to get it straight from the horses mouth, so to speak Did anyone hear it?

The answer he gave, which sort of goes to what Paul was saying, is that they think they were formed as part of the galaxy formation, and there's about 200 of them orbiting around our galaxy.

They must just be formed as a by-product of the galaxy formation, and enough big stars start forming closely together enough to draw others in and form the shape.. i dunno.. I guess in 60 seconds there wasn't time to go into a full detailed explanation.

But, I did manage to get a plug in for IceInSpace, so hopefully a few Sydner-siders will have heard the program and come visit the website and forums!