Central Region of Distant Galaxy Cluster Abell 3827 | Gemini South Telescope

Central Region of Distant Galaxy Cluster Abell 3827 | Gemini South Telescope

Central region of Abell 3827 as imaged using the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph on the Gemini South telescope in Chile. The central supermassive galaxy (ESO 146-IG 005) is clearly visible among its cluster companions as well as the remains of at least four nuclei that are being “digested” by the large galaxy. The central galaxy is thought to be the most massive galaxy in our local universe (out to about 1.5 billion light years). The field of view of this image is approximately 5 x 5 arcminutes and is a color composite made from g-, r- and i-band images combined and processed by Travis Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage).

Abell 3827 is a rich cluster of galaxies located near the center of the Great Attractor; it is about 222 million light years distant. Although it is both nearby and bright, it is difficult to observe because it is located in the Zone of Avoidance, a region near the plane of the Milky Way. Consequently, the cluster is severely obscured by interstellar dust at optical wavelengths.

Gemini South Telescope:
https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/gemini-observatory/gemini-south/

Credit: R. Carrasco et al., International Gemini Observatory/AURA
Release Date: May 12, 2010

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