Scrub teaching star count from about 10,000 toward ~10 million and diameter from about 50 to 450 light-years to see a packed core inside a wider halo, then read the published census, age, and size figures.
The Milky Way hosts about 150 known globular star swarms (up to about 200 estimated behind the disk). They are among the oldest stellar systems, about 11-13 billion years old, span roughly 50-450 light-years, and hold about 10,000 to ~10 million stars (Omega Centauri near the top end).
Drag to orbit and scroll or pinch to zoom. For galaxy-wide structure see the Milky Way Map 3D Explorer; for stick-figure sky lore see the Constellation Sphere 3D Explorer.
Globular Star Swarm 3D Explorer
This browser explorer shows a globular star swarm as a dense, ancient star swarm with a packed core and wider halo, using published census, age, and size figures in the facts panel.
About 150 Milky Way globular star swarms are known (up to about 200 estimated). Ages are about 11-13 billion years. Diameters span roughly 50-450 light-years. Star counts run from about 10,000 to ~10 million (Omega Centauri near ~10 million).
- Scrub teaching star count across the published range
- Scrub diameter from about 50 to 450 light-years
- Read census, age, diameter, and star-count figures
- Compare with Milky Way map and constellation sphere siblings
- Drag to orbit, scroll or pinch to zoom
- Runs fully in the browser with the vendored three.js engine - no account, no upload
| Figure | Published value |
|---|---|
| Milky Way census | ~150 known (up to ~200 estimated) |
| Age | ~11-13 billion years |
| Diameter | ~50-450 light-years |
| Star count | ~10,000 to ~10 million (Omega Centauri ~10 million) |
For galaxy structure, open the Milky Way Map 3D Explorer. For stick-figure constellations, open the Constellation Sphere 3D Explorer.
Everything renders on your device with WebGL. The 3D engine loads once (about 0.7 MB) and is cached.
This is an educational approximation - on-screen star count is a teaching sample mapped to the published range. It is not an N-body stellar dynamics model.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a globular star swarm?
A dense, roughly spherical swarm of old stars. Milky Way examples number about 150 known (up to about 200 estimated), with ages about 11-13 billion years and diameters about 50-450 light-years.
How many stars do they hold?
Published counts run from about 10,000 to ~10 million. Omega Centauri sits near the top end at about 10 million stars.
How is this different from the Milky Way map page?
The Milky Way map teaches galaxy-wide structure. This page teaches one star swarm's packed core, halo extent, census, age, and size figures.
How is this different from the constellation sphere?
Constellation sphere teaches stick-figure sky lore. This page teaches a real star-star swarm population and its published scale figures.
Are the on-screen star counts exact?
No. The canvas draws a teaching sample. The scrubber maps onto the published 10,000 to ~10 million range shown in the facts panel.
Does this page run N-body stellar dynamics?
No. It is an educational explorer using published NASA/ESA catalog-scale figures - not an N-body stellar dynamics model.