El Gordo: a massive distant merging galaxy cluster

This picture of the galaxy cluster ACT-CL J0102−4915 combines images taken with ESO’s Very Large Telescope with images from the SOAR Telescope and X-ray observations from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. The X-ray image shows the hot gas in the cluster and is shown in blue. This newly discovered galaxy cluster has been nicknamed El Gordo — the "big" or "fat one" in Spanish. It consists of two separate galaxy subclusters colliding at several million kilometres per hour, and is so far away that its light has travelled for seven billion years to reach the Earth.

Credit:

ESO/SOAR/NASA

About the Image

Id:eso1203a
Type:Observation
Release date:10 January 2012, 17:00
Related releases:eso1203
Size:1530 x 1182 px

About the Object

Name:ACT-CL J0102-4915
Type:Early Universe : Galaxy : Grouping : Cluster
Distance:z=0.87 (redshift)
Constellation:Phoenix
Category:Galaxy Clusters

Image Formats

Large JPEG
783.5 KB
Screensize JPEG
245.1 KB

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Wallpapers

1024x768
303.5 KB
1280x1024
557.1 KB
1600x1200
695.3 KB
1920x1200
792.3 KB
2048x1536
1.0 MB

Coordinates

Position (RA):1 2 57.07
Position (Dec):-49° 15' 20.97"
Field of view:6.43 x 4.97 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 0.1° right of vertical

Colours & filters

BandWavelengthTelescope
Optical
R
655 nmVery Large Telescope
FORS2
Infrared
I
768 nmVery Large Telescope
FORS2
Infrared
Z
910 nmVery Large Telescope
FORS2