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:
“Next week Reagan will probably announce that American scientists have discovered that the entire U.S. agricultural surplus can be compacted into a giant tomato one thousand miles across, which will be suspended above the Kremlin from a cluster of U.S. satellites flying in geosynchronous orbit. At the first sign of trouble the satellites will drop the tomato on the Kremlin, drowning the fractious Muscovites in ketchup.”
—Alexander Cockburn (b. 1941)