A halo is a roughly spherical region surrounding the Milky Way Galaxy that contains older stars, globular clusters, and dark matter. It is not as dense as other parts of the galaxy and extends beyond the visible disk.
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The halo contains a majority of the galaxy's dark matter.
Stars in the halo are typically older and have lower metallicity than those in the galactic disk.
Globular clusters are densely packed groups of old stars found within the halo.
The halo can be subdivided into an inner and outer region, with different characteristics such as stellar density and composition.
It extends well beyond the visible part of the Milky Way, influencing its gravitational pull.
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Related terms
Globular Cluster: A spherical collection of old stars orbiting around a galaxy's core, often found in halos.