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Chandra image of the Fornax Cluster
Credit: NASA/CXC/Columbia U./C.Scharf et al.


Free Falling

The image above shows a galaxy rolling downhill. This image shows X-ray emission from the Fornax cluster of galaxies as seen by the Chandra X-ray observatory. The bright points in the image represent individual galaxies which make up the cluster, while the fainter blue glow represents emission from the hot gas trapped by the dark matter in the cluster. One member of the cluster, the galaxy NGC 1404, seen to the left and below the cluster core, shows a "cometary" appearance, that is, a sharp leading edge and an extended tail. This indicates that gas is being swept from NGC 1404 as the galaxy falls into the cluster.


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Page Author: Dr. Michael F. Corcoran
Last modified Monday, 26-Feb-2024 17:35:25 EST