Nuclear star cluster

The nuclear star cluster of our own Milky Way Galaxy seen with adaptive optics in the infrared with the NaCo instrument on the VLT.

A nuclear star cluster (NSC) or compact stellar nucleus (sometimes called young stellar nucleus) is a star cluster with high density and high luminosity near the center of mass of most galaxies.[1]

NSCs are the central massive objects of fainter, low-mass galaxies where supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are not present or are of negligible mass. In the most massive galaxies, NSCs are entirely absent. Some galaxies, including the Milky Way, are known to contain both a NSC and a SMBH of comparable mass.[2]

  1. ^ Schödel, R.; Merritt, D.; Eckart, A. (2009). "The nuclear star cluster of the Milky Way: proper motions and mass". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 502 (1): 91–111. arXiv:0902.3892. Bibcode:2009A&A...502...91S. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200810922.
  2. ^ Nishiyama, S.; Schödel, R. (2012). "Young, Massive Star Candidates Detected throughout the Nuclear Star Cluster of the Milky Way". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 549: A57. arXiv:1210.6125. Bibcode:2012yCat..35490057N. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201219773.