Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Why did telescopes make globular clusters easier to study?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Globular cluster
Globular cluster M13.
Before the invention of the telescope, globular clusters were visible to the unaided eye only as faint, hazy patches of light, which made detailed study impossible.12
The telescope transformed the study of these objects by allowing astronomers to resolve the individual stars within these dense, spherical groupings. This capability enabled researchers to move beyond mere observation of their appearance to conducting rigorous scientific investigations, such as:12
- Distance and Distribution: By studying the distances and distributions of these clusters, astronomers like Harlow Shapley were able to determine the location of the galactic centre of the Milky Way Galaxy.12
- Stellar Evolution: Telescopes allowed for the creation of colour-magnitude diagrams, which help scientists understand the age and evolutionary history of the stars within a cluster.3
- Kinematics: Modern instruments have enabled the measurement of radial velocities and the observation of individual stellar motions, revealing that these clusters orbit the galactic centre.3
Ultimately, the telescope provided the resolution necessary to treat these "hazy patches" as complex systems of thousands to hundreds of thousands of stars.2