Globular Clusters
The Sombrero Galaxy has a relatively large number of globular clusters. Observational studies of globular clusters in the Sombrero Galaxy have produced estimates of the population in the range of 1200 to 2000. The ratio of the number of globular clusters to the total luminosity of the galaxy is high compared to the Milky Way and similar galaxies with small bulges, but the ratio is comparable to other galaxies with large bulges. These results have been repeatedly used to demonstrate that the number of globular clusters in galaxies is thought to be related to the size of the galaxies' bulges. The surface density of the globular clusters generally follows the light profile of the bulge except for near the center of the galaxy.
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Famous quotes containing the word clusters:
“What wondrous life in this I lead!
Ripe apples drop about my head;
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The nectarine and curious peach
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Stumbling on melons, as I pass,
Ensnared with flowers, I fall on grass.”
—Andrew Marvell (1621–1678)