Detail of the cluster of galaxies Abell 496

This image displays part of a sky field centered on the distant cluster of galaxies Abell 496, as imaged by the WFI at the 2.2-m MPG/ESO telescope at La Silla during a total exposure time of just over 2 hours. Note in particular the large numbers of very faint objects in this field, almost exclusively distant galaxies. North is up and East is left in both photos.

The WFI image of Abell 496 was obtained in blue light (B-band) and corresponds to a total integration time of 7560 seconds, split into a number of exposures lasting between 600 and 1200 seconds. The faintest objects just detectable in this image have a B-magnitude of about 26.5.