Abell 3627 in the Great Attractor
Credit & Copyright: STScI,
AAO, UK-PPARC, ROE
Explanation:
Are these galaxies near the center of the largest gravitationally bound
concentration of mass yet known? Previously, the
cluster of galaxies
known as Abell 3627 was largely unstudied because
dust in the
disk of our own
Galaxy obscured much of its light.
Several galaxies from Abell 3627 appear above as fuzzy
blue patches behind many stars in our Galaxy.
Recent observations by
Renee Kraan-Korteweg
(
Paris Observatory)
and collaborators, however, indicate that this cluster of galaxies is near
the center of the huge nearby conglomeration of mass known as the
Great
Attractor. Evidence for this was uncovered in new accurate
measurements of the large extent and nearby distance of Abell 3627.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
