Why might some Milky Way globular clusters be hidden from view?

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Dense cluster of thousands of stars forming a bright, spherical shape in the night sky, representing globular cluster M13. — Globular cluster Globular cluster M13.

Some globular clusters in the Milky Way Galaxy remain hidden from view primarily due to the obscuring effect of interstellar dust located within the galactic plane.12

This dust, which is part of the general interstellar medium, dims and reddens starlight, making it difficult to observe objects positioned behind or within these dense regions. Because of this obscuration, the exact number of globular clusters in the Milky Way is uncertain, as the dust likely prevents the detection of some clusters that would otherwise be visible.32