The old globular clusters: Or, life among the ruins

Recent progress on the astrophysics of globular clusters is discussed. Highlights are (a) developments in color-magnitude survey work, (b) globular cluster structures and the “fundamental plane,” and (c) the relation between globular clusters and the halo field stars in the same host galaxy. Color-Magnitude studies: The beginning and end of an era Above almost all other types of astronomical systems, globular clusters offer the chance to take a …