Tag Archive for 'Brightest cluster galaxy'

SPT-CL J2215-3537 resembles a blue cloud with a hazy golden light at its core. The cluster is set against the blackness of space, which is dotted with white, orange and blue specks of light. A combination of X-ray, ultraviolet, optical, and infrared light, was used to create the image. The blue cloud represents X-ray gas observed by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. The cloud is soft, and uniform in texture. Over time, galaxy clusters often merge or collide. These collisions cause disturbances and sharp features in a cluster’s gas. When a cluster takes on a smooth, calm appearance, as found here in SPT-CL J2215-3537, it indicates that no such collisions have occurred for a very long time. Astronomers call these galaxy clusters ‘relaxed.’ The hazy golden light at the heart of the cloud represents a massive central galaxy with a large amount of star formation. This central galaxy is quite isolated within the blue gas cloud. There are relatively few nearby specks of light near the central galaxy, and none are as bright or as large. No other large galaxies have been found within 600,000 light-years of the central galaxy. This implies that SPT-CL J2215-3537 has not experienced a galaxy merger in the last billion years. Image credit: NASA / CXC / MIT / M. Calzadilla / STScI / HST / N. Wolk.

Chandra Spots ‘Relaxed’ Galaxy Cluster in Distant Universe

Jul 21, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

The dynamically relaxed galaxy cluster SPT-CL J2215-3537 is about 8.4 billion light-years from Earth, making it the farthest galaxy cluster ever spotted...

This image shows the strong-lensing galaxy Abell 1201 BCG and a gravitational arc. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / Nightingale et al., doi: 10.1093/mnras/stad587.

Astronomers Discover Ultramassive Black Hole in Abell 1201

Mar 29, 2023 by Natali Anderson

The newly-discovered ultramassive black hole has a mass of 32.7 billion solar masses and resides in the center of Abell 1201 BCG, a massive elliptical...

This Hubble image shows the jellyfish galaxy JW100 (seen edge-on in the lower right). Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / M. Gullieuszik / GASP Team.

Hubble Focuses on Jellyfish Galaxy JW100

Mar 20, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Streams of star-forming gas dripping from the disk of a spiral galaxy called JW100 are formed by a process called ram pressure stripping, and their resemblance...

This Hubble image shows SDSSCGB 10189, a trio of merging galaxies located in the constellation of Boötes. Further to the left is an unconnected, dimmer spiral galaxy. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / M. Sun.

Hubble Spots Trio of Colliding Star-Forming Galaxies

Feb 13, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have produced an outstanding image of a trio of merging galaxies called SDSSCGB 10189. This Hubble...

In this composite image of Abell 2146, Chandra X-ray data (purple) shows hot gas, and Subaru Telescope optical data shows galaxies (red and white). Image credit: NASA / CXC / University of Nottingham / Russell et al. / NAOJ / Subaru Telescope.

Chandra Spots 1.6-Million-Light-Year-Long Shock Wave in Abell 2146

Jun 9, 2022 by News Staff

Abell 2146 is a pair of colliding galaxy clusters located approximately 2.8 billion light-years away in the constellation of Draco. In this composite image...

This Hubble image shows the elliptical galaxy UGC 10143 in the center of the galaxy cluster Abell 2147. Image credit: NASA / ESA / W. Harris, McMaster University / G. Kober, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center / Catholic University of America.

Hubble Focuses on Central Galaxy of Abell 2147

May 16, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured a striking new photo of UGC 10143, a giant elliptical galaxy located in the center...

Density distribution of the 550 galaxies in the COSMOS UltraVISTA DR3 catalog (cyan circles). The two ultramassive galaxies, COS-DR3-179370 (in MAGAZ3NE J0959) and COS-DR3-160748 (in MAGAZ3NE J1000), are shown by blue and green stars, respectively. Image credit: McConachie et al., doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ac2b9f.

Two Protoclusters of Galaxies Spotted in Early Universe

Feb 10, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

Each of the two newly-discovered protoclusters, MAGAZ3NE J095924+022537 and MAGAZ3NE J100028+023349 (MAGAZ3NE J0959 and MAGAZ3NE J1000 for short), hosts...

This Hubble image shows the galaxy cluster CHIPS1911+4455. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble Heritage Team.

Astronomers Discover Three New Galaxy Clusters

Apr 6, 2021 by News Staff

As part of the Clusters Hiding in Plain Sight (CHiPS) survey, astronomers have discovered three new galaxy cluster candidates and confirmed two of them:...

This image of Abell 2261, a galaxy cluster located 3 billion light-years away, contain X-ray data from Chandra showing hot gas pervading the cluster as well as optical data from Hubble and the Subaru Telescope that show galaxies in the cluster and in the background. A2261-BCG (center), also known as 2MASX J17222717+3207571, is the most massive and brightest galaxy in the cluster. Image credit: NASA / CXC / University of Michigan / K. Gültekin / STScI / NAOJ / Subaru / NSF / NOAO / KPNO.

Abell 2261 May Contain Recoiling Supermassive Black Hole

Dec 18, 2020 by News Staff

Astronomers using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory are searching for signs of a recoiling black hole in the core of A2261-BCG, the most massive and brightest...

An artist’s impression of plasma jets coming from a supermassive black hole in the central galaxy of the Phoenix cluster. Image credit: NAOJ.

Astronomers Detect Black-Hole Jets in Central Galaxy of Phoenix Cluster

Sep 1, 2020 by Enrico de Lazaro

Astronomers using the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) have detected plasma jets coming from a supermassive black hole in the central galaxy of...

Reynolds et al used Chandra to look for extraordinarily low-mass axion-like particles in the Perseus galaxy cluster, a group of galaxies located 240 million light-years away from Earth. The observation lasting over five days showed no evidence for certain axion-like particles, which some theorists think can explain dark matter. The lack of detection in these Chandra observations helps rule out some versions of string theory, a set of models intended to tie together all known forces, interactions, and particles. Image credit: NASA / CXC / University of Cambridge / Reynolds et al.

Astrophysicists Perform Test of String Theory

Mar 25, 2020 by News Staff

Astrophysicists using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory have looked for signs of an as-yet undetected particle predicted by string theory, a set of models...

Evidence for the biggest black hole eruption seen in the Universe comes from a combination of X-ray data from Chandra and XMM-Newton, and the Murchison Widefield Array and Giant Metrewave Telescope, as shown here. The eruption is generated by a black hole located in the central galaxy of the Ophiuchus galaxy cluster, which has blasted out jets and carved a large cavity in the surrounding hot gas. Image credit: NASA / CXC / NRL / S. Giacintucci et al / ESA / XMM-Newton / NCRA / TIFR / GMRT / 2MASS / UMass / IPAC-Caltech / NSF.

Universe’s Most Powerful Black Hole Eruption Spotted

Feb 28, 2020 by News Staff

Using data from ESA’s XMM-Newton and NASA’s Chandra X-ray space observatories, along with two ground-based radio telescopes in Australia and India,...

Giant cavities in the X-ray emitting intracluster medium (shown in blue, as observed by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory) have been carved out by a black hole outburst. X-ray data are overlaid on top of optical data from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope (in red/orange), where the central galaxy that is likely hosting the culprit supermassive black hole is also visible. Image credit: Calzadilla et al.

Astronomers Witness Extremely Powerful Black Hole Outburst in Distant Galaxy Cluster

Dec 25, 2019 by Enrico de Lazaro

Astronomers using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory have spotted an unusual outburst activity in the center of SPT-CLJ0528-5300 (SPT-0528 for short),...

This Hubble image shows young globular clusters (blue) and filaments of cool gas (red) around NGC 1275 in the center of the Perseus cluster (also known as Abell 426), a group of over 1,000 galaxies located 240 million light-years from Earth. Image credit: Lim et al, doi: 10.1038/s41550-019-0909-6.

Astronomers Find Thousands of Young Globular Clusters around Perseus Cluster’s Central Galaxy

Oct 29, 2019 by Enrico de Lazaro

Many thousands of compact and massive star clusters have formed at an approximately steady rate over the past one billion years around NGC 1275, the central...

Supermassive black holes at the cores of galaxies blast radiation and ultra-fast winds outward, as illustrated in this artist’s conception. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech.

Ultramassive Black Hole Found in Elliptical Galaxy Holmberg 15A

Aug 5, 2019 by Sergio Prostak

Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) have discovered an enormous black hole at the center of Holmberg 15A, a supergiant elliptical galaxy...

This image, taken with the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) on board the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, shows the galaxy cluster SDSS J1336-0331. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble.

Hubble Catches Enormous Cluster of Galaxies

Jul 16, 2018 by News Staff

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has produced this beautiful image of a massive galaxy cluster called SDSS J1336-0331. This image, taken with the Wide...

A massive black hole can be seen at the center of a faraway galaxy in this artist’s concept. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech.

Astronomers Find Ultramassive Black Holes in Distant Cluster Galaxies

Feb 21, 2018 by News Staff

Using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers have found evidence for what is likely the most massive black holes ever detected. A massive black...

This Hubble image shows the massive galaxy cluster Abell S1063. Image credit: NASA / ESA / J. Lotz, STScI.

Hubble Detects Wobbling Galaxies within Massive Galaxy Clusters

Oct 26, 2017 by News Staff

Galaxy clusters are among the most massive structures in the Universe. Every galaxy cluster contains a galaxy that is brighter than the other members,...

The giant elliptical galaxy in the center of this Hubble image is the most massive and brightest member of the galaxy cluster Abell 2261. Spanning a little more than one million light-years, the galaxy is about 10 times the diameter of the Milky Way Galaxy. Abell 2261 is located approximately 3 billion light-years away. Image credit: NASA / ESA / M. Postman, STScI / T. Lauer, NOAO / CLASH Team.

Brightest Cluster Galaxy Alignments Traced Back 10 Billion Years

Jun 13, 2017 by News Staff

A new study based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has shown that so-called brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) — the very...