Galaxy Clusters
6 questions tagged Galaxy Clusters — spanning every one of the seven Ws.
When was the first galaxy cluster found with X-ray observations?
X-ray observations in the 1970s revealed hot gas in galaxy clusters. One famous early example was the Coma Cluster studied with X-ray astronomy.
Where is the Virgo Cluster located?
The Virgo Cluster is a cluster of galaxies in the constellation Virgo. It is about 54 million light-years away.
Where is the Coma Cluster located?
The Coma Cluster is located in the direction of the constellation Coma Berenices. It is about 320 million light-years away.
What is the Virgo Cluster?
The Virgo Cluster is the nearest large galaxy cluster to the Milky Way. It lies about 54 million light-years away and contains more than a thousand galaxies.
When was the first galaxy cluster discovered as a physical system?
In the 1930s, astronomers began recognizing galaxy clusters such as the Coma Cluster as massive bound systems.
Why do galaxy clusters contain hot X-ray gas?
As galaxies fall into a cluster’s deep gravity well, gas is heated to tens of millions of degrees. That superheated gas glows strongly in X-rays.