central bulge
Quick Summary
The central bulge is a nearly spherical component of a spiral galaxy, like our own Milky Way Galaxy, that surrounds the nucleus. It is primarily composed of older, Population II stars, which are relatively rich in heavy elements, and also contains globular clusters. These stars and clusters follow nearly radial orbits around the galactic nucleus. The bulge stars are visible above the obscuring dust in the galactic plane. The structure of spiral galaxies, including the central bulge, is typical of large spiral systems and consists of several parts: nucleus, central bulge, disk, spiral arms, spherical component, and halo.12
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