Open star clusters as a research area encompass the observational and theoretical study of gravitationally bound, relatively young stellar groupings in galactic disks, used as laboratories for stellar and Galactic astrophysics. Research focuses on their formation, dynamical evolution, and dissolution in the Galactic tidal field; detailed determination of their ages, distances, and metallicities; and the characterization of stellar populations, mass functions, and binary fractions. Open clusters are key tracers of Galactic structure, chemical evolution, and star formation history, and are investigated through multiwavelength photometry, high-resolution spectroscopy, astrometry, and N-body simulations to constrain models of stellar evolution and cluster dynamics.
Cancer the Crab is a dim constellation, yet it contains one of the most beautiful and easy-to-spot star clusters in our sky: the Beehive Cluster. Cancer also possesses one of the most studied exoplanets: the superhot super-Earth, ...
Astronomy
Mar 18, 2026
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Astronomers have analyzed the images collected by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to investigate a galactic open cluster known as NGC 2158. Results of the study, published Feb. 25 on the arXiv pre-print server, provide essential ...
Using ESA's Gaia satellite, astronomers have investigated three open clusters in the galactic disk, namely Berkeley 17, 18 and 39. Results of the new study, published January 21 on the arXiv pre-print server, yield crucial ...
Astronomers from the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) in Cairo, Egypt, have investigated a young open cluster known as Czernik 38. As a result, they found a new open cluster, which turns out ...
By analyzing the data from ESA's Gaia satellite, Chinese astronomers have investigated the structure of a nearby open cluster known as NGC 752. The new study identified four substructures and delivered evidence for mass segregation ...
The final ESA/Webb Picture of the Month feature for 2025 showcases a festive-looking region filled with glowing clouds of gas and thousands of sparkling stars. This star cluster, known as Westerlund 2, resides in a stellar ...
Astronomy
Dec 19, 2025
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Star clusters are of great importance in any galaxy: they are the birthplace of new stars, often containing massive stars of 10 solar masses or more. Such massive stars often drive powerful winds; the combined action of all ...
Astronomy
Dec 10, 2025
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By analyzing the data from the SuperCOSMOS Hα Survey (SHS) and from the Gaia satellite, astronomers have inspected a bipolar planetary nebula designated PHR J1724-3859. Results of the study, published Nov. 19 on the arXiv ...
Stars usually form in clusters, which can also form in pairs or groups. Binary clusters (BCs) are defined as pairs of open clusters closely associated both in position and kinematics. They provide insight into how stars form ...
Astronomy
Nov 28, 2025
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Astronomers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have discovered that the famous Pleiades star cluster, the "Seven Sisters" often spotted on winter nights, is just the bright tip of a much larger stellar family. ...
Astronomy
Nov 12, 2025
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