The Centaurus Cluster (A3526) is a cluster of hundreds of galaxies, located approximately 170 million light years away in the Centaurus constellation. The brightest member galaxy is the elliptical galaxy NGC 4696 (~11m). The Centaurus cluster shares its supercluster, the Hydra-Centaurus Supercluster, with IC4329 Cluster and Hydra Cluster.
The cluster consists of two different sub-groups of galaxies with different velocities. Cen 30 is the main subgroup containing NGC 4696. Cen 45 is moving at 1500 km/s relative to Cen 30, and is believed to be merging with the main cluster.
Famous quotes containing the word cluster:
“the green hells of the sea
Where fallen skies and evil hues and eyeless creatures be;
On them the sea-valves cluster and the grey sea-forests curl,
Splashed with a splended sickness, the sickness of the pearl;”
—Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874–1936)