Whats bigger, a globular cluster or a nebula?

Answer 1

For the most part, globular clusters are larger, being maybe 100 to 250 light years in diameter. By comparison, the North America (NGC7000) and Orion (M42) nebulae are each about 30 ly across, and the Rosette (NGC2237) is about 90 ly. Planetary nebulae are quite small, mostly one light year or so in diameter.

But many emission nebulae are just locally illuminated parts of much larger clouds, so nebulae can potentially be much larger. The Tarantula nebula (NGC2070) in the Large Magellanic Cloud, is around 1000 light years across.

Answer 2

Hi. A globular cluster is more visible because of the vast number of stars in it but dark nebulae are probably more vast. Some nebulae are pretty small such as The Ring.

Answer 3

Globular clusters are a tight mass of thousands of stars, whereas nebulae are clouds of gas and dust and quite variable in size.

The nebula in Orion's sword is quite visible with binoculars (need dark place and no moon), whereas globular clusters are not good binocular objects.

Answer 4

Clusters, which contain thousands of stars compacted tightly together, might span a few tens of light-years across if, whilst nebulae can span hundreds even thousands of light-years across. Nebulae are generally clouds of gas and called "star factories", and are not very dense, and may not be as massive as globular clusters, which are extremely dense, but in terms of total diameter or distance across, nebulae win, hands down.

Answer 5

Probably the Globular Clusters. They're pretty far away- outside of and orbiting our galaxy and contain thousands of stars. Probably 50,000 light years away.

The nebulae that are visible are quite a bit closer than that and are generally remnants of a single star. So- they may 'look' as big, but they aren't