Coma Cluster (uncropped view)

The Dark Energy Camera captures an image of the dazzling Coma Cluster, named after the hair of Queen Berenice II of Egypt. Not only significant in Greek mythology, this collection of galaxies was also fundamental to the discovery of the existence of dark matter. The theory emerged in 1937 when Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky noticed that the Coma Cluster galaxies behaved as if they were under the influence of vast amounts of unobservable ‘dark’ matter.

See a cropped version of this image here.

Credit:

CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURA
Image Processing: D. de Martin & M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab)

About the Image

Id:noirlab2420b
Type:Observation
Release date:Aug. 14, 2024, 1 p.m.
Related releases:noirlab2420
Size:17697 x 9152 px

About the Object

Name:ACO 1656, Coma Cluster
Distance:320 million light years
z=0.023 (redshift)
Constellation:Coma Berenices
Category:Galaxy Clusters

Image Formats

Large JPEGLarge JPEG
43.9 MB
Screensize JPEGScreensize JPEG
241.0 KB

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498.3 KB
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816.3 KB
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4.2 MB

Coordinates

ObjectValue
Position (RA):13 0 34.53
Position (Dec):27° 57' 42.13"
Field of view:77.27 x 39.84 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 0.0° right of vertical