A gravitationally bound group of stars that formed from the same molecular cloud and share similar ages, compositions, and distances from Earth. These stellar families range from loose associations to tightly packed spherical collections.
From Latin 'stella' meaning star and 'cluster' from Old English 'clyster' meaning bunch or group. The astronomical usage developed in the 18th century as telescopes revealed that many apparent single stars were actually groups of multiple stars.
Stellar clusters are like cosmic family portraits frozen in time! Since all the stars formed together, astronomers can study stellar evolution by observing different mass stars of the same age, like watching siblings of different ages all at once.
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