Star formation and star clusters in nearby galaxies

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Galaxies are the largest luminous constituents of the universe, and understanding how galaxies (including our own) came to be the way they are today is a major focus of observational astronomy. Questions we want to answer include: how did galaxies assemble their stars and gas? How did they assume their present shapes? What controls the rate at which stars are formed?The intent of this research program is to "work backwards", studying the structures and conditions in nearby galaxies. A major advantage of studying these galaxies is that we can see fine details and compare them more easily to our own Milky Way. One goal will be  to compare various indicators of star formation: the diffuse glows of warm interstellar dust and ultraviolet radiation against the beacon-like young star clusters. Are the conditions which produce new stars the same in both environments? Another aspect of this program is the study of ancient  globular star clusters, which are thought to be "fossils" of the early age of galaxies. By pinning down the properties of these clusters, conditions in the early ages of the universe can be better understood.Observing young galaxies in the process of formation is one of the primary goals of the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope and the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope. This program will help to lay the groundwork for such observations by painting a comprehensive portrait of nearby galaxies which can be compared to the much more distant galaxies to be observed by these new facilities.