What If We Lived in a Globular Cluster?
Take some cosmic dust and gas, then add billions and billions of planets and a whole lot of stars to the mix. Spice it all up with a handful of gravity to hold things together, and you get a galaxy. Shaken, not stirred. Some of those ingredients would get clumped together. The gases and dust would merge into stars. And stars would get packed together into globular clusters. Some of these clusters could count up to a million stars stuffed into an area 3.2 light-years across. To put that in perspective, the closest star to our Sun is about 4.37 light-years away.
Could a planet even exist where so many stars are so close together?
Transcript and sources: https://insh.world/science/what-if-we-lived-in-a-globular-cluster/
Made possible with the support of Ontario Creates http://www.ontariocreates.ca
Which country would be first? And why would moondust be your biggest problem?
Watch more what-if scenarios:
Planet Earth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-HhCwYD7rc&list=PLZdXRHYAVxTJCzxwmCq0NNpYq9N9wyb2l
The Cosmos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfuJyVkMH_g&list=PLZdXRHYAVxTJno6oFF9nLGuwXNGYHmE8U
Technology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS3bBO05fpU&list=PLZdXRHYAVxTIeRY3JtgXgoGqSEB7kDdKO
Your Body: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmXR46TrbA8&list=PLZdXRHYAVxTJNsV9FFeNAKl2ySsHj8GZO
Humanity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdCDQIyXGnw&list=PLZdXRHYAVxTIFnvmOeWbv-Mt8zFxSCSvZ
Follow what-if on Instagram for bonus material: https://www.instagram.com/what.if.show/
Suggest an episode: http://bit.ly/suggest-whatif
T-shirts and merch: http://bit.ly/whatifshop
Facebook Watch: https://www.facebook.com/What.If.science
Watch on Tubi: http://bit.ly/what-if-tubi
“Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it, we go nowhere.” — Carl Sagan
If you enjoy What If, make sure to check out our other channel “Underknown”: https://www.youtube.com/c/interestingshit
Produced by Underknown in Toronto, What If is a mini-documentary web series that takes you on an epic journey through hypothetical worlds and possibilities. Join us on an imaginary adventure — grounded in scientific theory — through time, space and chance, as we ask what if some of the most fundamental aspects of our existence were different.
Feedback, inquiries and suggestions: https://underknown.com/contact
@solarsystemfan1216
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
Did you know?
The globular cluster is called the Ivana Cluster
which lives in the Ivana Galaxy
@gilligansisland15
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
What if the word IF didn't exist
@PlanetGuy901
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
Cool but one supernova and we die
@alexiy.b
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
We already live in a globular cluster which is 1000 light years in size and also you are wrong that globular clusters are 3 light years in size because they are at least 1000 light years in size.
@denifnaf5874
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
Extreme, eratic ''seasons'' with lethal properties
@disobeyingpersonification
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
If there where so many supernovas there must be stars with higher metallicity.
@waterfall9386
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
Add the augmented reality and search for ourselves among the clusters.
@orlandoortiz360
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
Nightfall from Isaac Asimov answer question.
@detesti
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
it “nano” big tuned up by space “families arches big” fleet
@ungmd21
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
Even a star 1 light year away would take thousands of years to get to with rocket power
@pierrechaput2439
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
That was super interesting. I wish we would have seen a bit more of what our night sky, and maybe daytime sky too would look like living on such a planet. Would the stars be numerous and bright enough to be seen in our daytime sky? How drastically might all these bright close stars affect our own night sky? Would a normal night be possible for us?, or would they leave us in perpetual brightness, or at least gloom? Would our astronomers be able to see beyond the glut of stars surrounding us to notice the rest of the galaxy and Universe?
@Deerfield5
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
How is earth the only planet out of the billion of stars and planets in the universe qnd earth is the only habitual planet
@theamateurfurry4735
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
Anybody remember that TV show “Dude, What Would Happen”? I feel like this is its more science-y successor
@Flakester
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
Life in a dense star cluster wouldn't be life at all. It would be a giant radiation bath.
@neoanderson6270
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
This video isn't as much fun. Not because of the topic, but the narrator is different. The tone I noticed first, but then the whole style is different. I AM getting the information. But the video not just same, low quality than many other What Ifs.
@outerrealm
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
Black buttered groat clusters.
@glennnile7918
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
It's very refreshing to hear someone say multi star systems are less stable and are less likely to evolve intelligent civilizations. You have my respect.
@vijaysingh5459
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
I LIKED THE VIDEO
@melissajade7717
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
It would make sense for that whole cluster to collapse on itself under gravity and create a hypernova as big as portion of the galaxy.
@Vikk1577
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
These clusters hurt my brain
So much star
@stussymishka
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
this vid is awesome and really deep.
@andyhuynh2001
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
Maybe the Star Wars universe happened in a Globular cluster. That's why interstellar travel was so easy.
@klopek007
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
Anyone else here because globular cluster is the featured article on Wikipedia today?
@bhxlegend
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
WHAT IF I BECOME A TAITAN lol
@ljre3397
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
I’ll stay here for now.
@bluebuddo_OSC
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
But do a wonderful video where if we were in a different solar system with different other players that wouldn’t quite in then or earth had a ring it be a kind of beautiful view but it wouldn’t be that great for us now on earth on earth we have lots of snow on the top and bottomAll that snow yet on the top and bottom would just melt so we’re not really have any water because all her water would please put all of the ice would melt so the water will not hurt emotions instead so will be on dry land which make water the most ancient thing on earth
@faxzaie1418
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
Revelation 16:15 ("Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!")
.
Revelation 21:4-7
"there will be no more death , or mourning , or crying , or pain.
I am making everything new.
Yes! I am coming soon.".
.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
@alandworsky8926
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
This video is super sloppy on the science
@joelcrandell700
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
Can you do what if you live in an open cluster
@closefriend17
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
no haaha
@mattsodano6264
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
Would it look like Christmas lights in the sky?
@blackwolf4775
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
What If Earth Was The biggest I the solar system
@Bruhman-17
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
I still love it how he says are sun not are star
@johnc4601
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
What if 2 black holes appeared on each side of our solar system.. Make video
@stephenmartinez1
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
Terrible video. I’ve never heard of a density of thousands of stars within a single light year, if true then there’s no possibility of complex life whatsoever. Your , what would our life be like without metals is stupid, since life would not be possible in the first place.
@BrotherXFactor
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
What if a gigantic asteroid collided with SUN ☀️.
@evilboy3521
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
Living in a Globular cluster would mean extreme, erratic "seasons" with lethal properties. Imagine the life likely to arise under such conditions. Ages of intense radiation giving way to brief days of lull. It'd be living hell.
@Mpcarter715
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
1:40 the sun is actually abuot 30-50 years old in space terms dumb*ss
@techmaestro
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
What If We Lived in a virgo cluster
@MrLadiezman95
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
We do live in one
@DoubleBFloross
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
What if cockroaches, mosquitos, rats or all pests in the Earth are our basic necessities.
@SimpIeGrey
February 1, 2026 at 4:42 am
Is it just me but i hear a Terraria theme in the backround in the first 30 seconds
Comments are closed.