The Coma Berenices galaxy cluster
1000’s of galaxies lie within the Coma Berenices cluster. It’s one of many densest identified galactic groupings seen by telescopes from Earth. It’s positioned within the route of our constellation Coma Berenices. And it’s finest considered within the night in April and Could. The middle of the Coma Berenices cluster is about 320 million light-years away. The cluster spans a distance of space of about 20 million light-years. That’s in distinction to our house galaxy, the Milky Way, about 100,000 light-years large.
And the Coma Berenices cluster isn’t only one galaxy. It’s an enormous assortment of those star islands in space, crammed with galaxies of all sizes and shapes, from large ellipticals to spirals to dwarf galaxies.
An outdated – however lovely – identify for this area of sky is the Realm of the Galaxies. Writing an article by that identify for Frosty Drew Observatory within the 12 months 2000, the late Leslie Coleman, a earlier director of Frosty Drew, explained:
Even within the eyepiece of the 16″, most of the galaxies on this space overlap one another! There merely isn’t room sufficient on this area of the sky to suit them.
It occupies a small space of sky
The central a part of the Coma Berenices cluster covers a roughly round space about 1 1/2 degrees throughout. That’s 9 instances the realm of a full moon, which is about 1/2 a level throughout. Nonetheless, the total cluster might prolong farther, and quite a few different galaxy clusters are in the identical space of the sky.
The constellation Coma Berenices lies between the constellations Leo the Lion and Boötes the Herdsman. This a part of the sky is the positioning of the well-known open star cluster often called the Coma Berenices star cluster, in addition to essentially the most distant galaxy cluster seen by telescopes. To see the star cluster and the galaxy cluster you want a dark sky.
Easy methods to discover the Coma Berenices galaxy cluster
The galaxy cluster is close to the northern border of the constellation Coma Berenices.
The cluster accommodates 1000’s of galaxies
The constellation Coma Berenices seems to the attention as a cluster of stars. However a telescope reveals an unlimited area of distant galaxies on this a part of the sky. The chart beneath offers you an thought of the variety of galaxies in that area of the sky.
No thought how twitter renders this picture however “faint fuzzy” time! ASI533/8″SCT Alt/Az 50x5s subs wanting via to Coma Cluster of Galaxies. 300Mly away. Wanting via Galactic pole. Like capturing fish in a barrel! SkySafari labels two as IC 4040? Magazine 15.4 captured! @BristolAstroSoc pic.twitter.com/pd3ssZn6lE
— Chris Lee FRAS FBIS (@cpl43uk) February 15, 2021
Science of the Coma Berenices galaxy cluster
So, the middle of the Coma Berenices galaxy cluster is about 320 million light-years away. And it’s not getting any nearer! Actually, your entire cluster is flying away from us on the fee of about greater than 15 million mph (24 million kph)!
The Coma Berenices galaxy cluster is without doubt one of the most populated galaxy clusters identified. And scientists estimate that it accommodates as many as 10,000 or extra members. There are extra particular person galaxies on this cluster than there are stars seen to the unaided human eye on a transparent, darkish night time.
A myriad of galaxies
Most galaxies within the central a part of the cluster are elliptical. Elliptical galaxies are the results of galaxy mergers. The 2 brightest members are NGC 4889 and NGC 4874, each of that are large ellipticals. They’re no less than two to a few instances bigger than our personal Milky Way galaxy. Farther out from the middle are a number of spiral galaxies.
However most galaxies within the Coma Berenices galaxy cluster are dwarf galaxies. Possibly they resemble the Milky Way’s companions, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds.
Coma Berenices galaxy cluster in historical past
Too faint for viewing by the human eye (or binoculars and even small telescopes), the ancients couldn’t have seen the galaxy cluster. Therefore, it has no related mythology. Nonetheless, the Coma Berenices galaxy cluster nonetheless has an attention-grabbing historical past.
Not solely it is without doubt one of the largest and most densely populated clusters of galaxies identified, it additionally led to our discovery of dark matter in our universe. Unseen and mysterious, this matter enormously will increase the total mass and gravitational energy of the universe, affecting its evolution and destiny.
Darkish matter was unknown and unsuspected till Swiss-American astronomer Fritz Zwicky found it within the Coma Berenices galaxy cluster within the Thirties. Zwicky tallied up the seen galaxies within the cluster and estimated their plenty. Then he noticed the motions of galaxies close to the sting of the cluster, that are decided by the total gravity (and therefore mass) of the cluster. Zwicky discovered that the mass derived from the latter technique enormously exceeded that from visible inspection.
Zwicky knew that if the legislation of gravity is appropriate – and there’s no purpose to doubt it – the one reply could possibly be a further supply of mass, which he referred to as dunkle Materie in German.
At the moment, scientists see the imprint of dark matter all through the universe. It’s no less than 5 instances extra prevalent than the extra acquainted seen matter, reminiscent of the celebrities and galaxies we are able to see.
Coordinates of the Coma Berenices galaxy cluster
The middle of the Coma Berenices galaxy cluster is positioned at roughly RA: 12h 59m, dec: +27° 59′.
Backside line: Myriads of galaxies, seen solely to these with telescopes, shine among the many stars of the constellation Coma Berenices. That is the distant Coma Berenices galaxy cluster.
