The R.A.V.E.N. Map · Globular & Open Clusters · v2 · 2026-06-11 · mission-control

The R.A.V.E.N. Map of Galactic Clusters

A 3D Galactic map of every catalogued globular and open cluster of the Milky Way. Globulars from the Vasiliev & Baumgardt (2021) Gaia EDR3 catalogue, augmented with Baumgardt & Hilker (2018) for fundamental parameters. Open clusters and moving groups from Hunt & Reffert (2024). Heliocentric Galactic Cartesian coordinates throughout.

"Two cluster populations, one Galaxy. The bound aggregates of stars laid out as the Galaxy carries them."

Vasiliev & Baumgardt (2021) · Baumgardt & Hilker (2018) · Hunt & Reffert (2024)

7,119
Clusters total
163
Globular
5,647
Open
1,309
Moving groups
3
Source catalogues

Cluster taxonomy

The map combines three catalogues. Globular clusters come from Vasiliev & Baumgardt's (2021) Gaia EDR3 study of 170 Milky Way GCs, supplemented with Baumgardt & Hilker's (2018) fundamental parameters (mass, distance, half-light radius). Open clusters and moving groups come from Hunt & Reffert's (2024) Gaia DR3 catalogue, "Improving the open cluster census. III." — the cleaned subset of 6,957 candidate clusters with photometric ages, V-band extinctions, Jacobi radii, and observed masses.

population & source
Total 7,119
3D Galactic map · heliocentric Cartesian

All Milky Way clusters in three dimensions

Each sphere is one cluster, sized by log-mass where available (else by member-star count). Globular clusters trace the halo; open clusters are confined to the disc. Click any cluster for its full record. Drag to rotate, scroll to zoom, right-click drag to pan.

Sun
parsing catalogue
catalogue embedded · literature streams live when served

Cluster Class

Distance Range

0 – 200 kpc
drag to slice the map radially from the Sun

Render Mode

Statistics

visible—
total in map—
scale200 kpc
Hover a cluster for a quick readout · click for full details · GC labels appear on hover.

Living literature

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References

  • Vasiliev, E. & Baumgardt, H. (2021). Gaia EDR3 view on Galactic globular clusters. MNRAS 505, 5978. — astrometric mean parallaxes, proper motions, and member catalogues for 170 Milky Way globular clusters.
  • Baumgardt, H. & Hilker, M. (2018). A catalogue of masses, structural parameters, and velocity dispersion profiles of 112 Milky Way globular clusters. MNRAS 478, 1520. — fundamental cluster parameters (mass, distance, half-light radius).
  • Hunt, E. L. & Reffert, S. (2024). Improving the open cluster census. III. Using cluster masses, radii, and dynamics to create a cleaned open cluster catalogue. A&A 686, A42. — 6,957 cluster candidates from Gaia DR3 with photometric ages, masses, Jacobi radii, and Galactic XYZ.
  • Gaia Collaboration et al. (2023). Gaia Data Release 3. A&A 674, A1. — underlying astrometry, photometry, and radial velocities for V&B 2021, B&H 2018 (via EDR3) and H&R 2024.
  • Reid, M. J. & Brunthaler, A. (2004). ICRS-to-Galactic rotation matrix used to compute Galactic Cartesian coordinates.
  • Baumgardt, H. Galactic Globular Cluster Database (Version 4) — living parameter compilation; consulted but not directly ingested in v1.
R.A.V.E.N. Research Labs · Maps · The R.A.V.E.N. Map of Galactic Clusters · v2 · 2026-06-11 · embedded catalogue · living literature via the Mission Control server on this origin