A globular cluster is a large compact spherical star cluster, typical of old stars in the outer regions of a galaxy. There are about 160 known clusters in the halo or bulge area of the Milky Way Galaxy. The dark background in my art piece represents the halo area of the Milky Way Galaxy. It can be assumed clusters like these are also orbiting other galaxies similar to a satellite.
The outer stars, farthest from the dense core, are bound to the core by the core's gravitational pull. The spherical shape of these outer stars is represented in two-dimensions with the loosely aligned lucky candy. All stars within the cluster are very old—presumably created at the same time as the galaxy, and are free of gas and dust.
The center cluster has a massive core that may harbor black holes. It is assumed that these black holes contribute to the exceptionally strong gravitational pull that binds the entire cluster together. The take-out box represents this black hole with the lucky candy being pulled into its center.
The center cluster has high stellar density made of low-metal stars. Because of their proximity to each other they appear much brighter than the outer stars. The cluster is represented by the high density of lucky candy attracted to the take-out box in the center of my astronomical artwork.
Globular clusters can sometimes have neutron stars orbiting with the outer stars. These neutron stars are being drawn to the center cluster where they will eventually become a black hole. The wave crest represents a neutron star. It is dark and strong, and due to its large mass it is consuming nearby celestial objects. This consumption is represented by the empty lucky candy wrappers surrounding the wave crest.
I chose a lucky candy abstract theme to better engage the students—astronomical artwork that can consumed will feed the hunger to learn about globular clusters.
Sample Piece: by G.Fukumoto
The theory of Planetesimals (which is basically a planet formed from millions of years of piling space debris) was discovered by Viktor Safronov, a Russian astronomer. These small celestial bodies formed during the creation of other planets can grow from several meters to hundreds of kilometers. Some Planetesimals turn in to comets, Kuiper Belts, asteroids, or even moons. My drawing is connected to planetesimals in a five ways: the trees, the pile of leaves, the density, the temperature, and the collision impact effect.
The first similarity is the trees. The trees represent the source of the debris that comes together to form planetesimals. When a planetary system is forming, a protoplanetary disk (with materials from the nebulae from with the system came) forms. The trees are like the protoplanetary disk.
My similarity is the pile of leaves. These pieces of debris slowly pull together by gravity to form small chunks of space rock. The pieces of space rock attract more and more space debris to get larger and larger, until the small chunk forms a planetesimal. The "gravity", (or the rake) sucks in the "debris" (the falling leaves) into the "planetesimal" (the pile of leaves) grows larger.
The third similarity is the density. Just like how a pile of leaves is more packed on the inside because of the weight of the leaves piled on top of each other, the inside of planetesimals are also denser than the outside. The untouched material inside of planetesimals provides information about the history of our solar system.
The fourth similarity is that inside is warmer than the outside. When a pile of leaves sits in the sun, the moisture in the soil on the inside of the pile begins to warm up. Planetesimals sitting in the inner part of the solar nebula are made mostly of silicates and metals. Planets sitting on the outside are cooler, made of water and ice.
The fifth similarity is collision impact effect. When Planetesimals collide with other objects in space, big chunks break off. When "space objects" or the wind "collides" or blows on the pile of leaves, leaves fly off.
