The era of recombination saw the formation of the first permanent atoms, paving the way for the formation of larger structures. At this time the mass contained in a volume 1 Jeans length on a side was about 500,000 M. ${\odot}$ This suggests the mass of a typical structure formed early in the universe. What familiar object has this mass?
A)a spiral galaxy
B)a Population III star
C)an open cluster
D)a globular cluster

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The mass of about 500,000 M$_{\odot}$ (solar masses) is typical for a globular cluster, which are dense collections of old stars found in the halos of galaxies. Spiral galaxies and open clusters have significantly different mass scales, and Population III stars, while massive, do not reach this scale individually.

The Era of Recombination Saw the Formation of the First ⊙{\odot}⊙

The Era of Recombination Saw the Formation of the First ${\odot}$