DECam Deep View of the Antlia Cluster
The Antlia Cluster (Abell S636) is a group of at least 230 galaxies located about 130 million light-years away in the direction of the constellation Antlia (the Air Pump). It hosts a rich variety of galaxy types, including lenticular galaxies, irregular galaxies and ultra-compact dwarfs. The cluster is dominated by two massive elliptical galaxies — NGC 3268 (center) and NGC 3258 (lower right).
This image was taken with the 570-megapixel Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera (DECam), mounted on the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, a Program of NSF NOIRLab. It captures only a portion of the 230 of galaxies that so far have been found to make up the Antlia Cluster. DECam’s ultra-deep view showcases the variety of galaxies within and beyond the cluster in incredible detail.
Credit:Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA
Image processing: R. Colombari & M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab)
About the Image
| Id: | noirlab2501a |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | Jan. 1, 2025, 10 a.m. |
| Related releases: | noirlab2501 |
| Size: | 11100 x 8000 px |
About the Object
| Name: | Antlia Cluster |
| Distance: | 130 million light years |
| Constellation: | Antlia |
| Category: | Galaxy Clusters |
Image Formats
Coordinates
| Position (RA): | 10 29 57.26 |
| Position (Dec): | -35° 22' 5.07" |
| Field of view: | 48.44 x 34.91 arcminutes |
| Orientation: | North is 11.5° left of vertical |
Colors & filters
| Band | Wave-length | Tele-scope |
|---|---|---|
| Optical g | 473 nm | Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope DECam |
| Optical r | 642 nm | Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope DECam |
| Optical i | 784 nm | Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope DECam |