images

The Virgo cluster. Detail

by

Anglo-Australian Observatory/David Malin Images/Novapix

Reference

a-amg02-00056

Date

2006-09-15

The nearest moderately rich cluster of galaxies lies in the direction of Virgo. The richest part of the cluster is centred on the giant elliptical galaxies M84 and M86 which dominate this picture. Not surprisingly in such a relatively crowded environment, close encounters between cluster members are fairly common and in the upper left (NE) of the photograph NGC 4438 has been distorted by its companion NGC 4435. The whole cluster is receding with an average velocity of over 1000 km per second but there is sufficient variation around that value to suggest that it may be composed of more than one cloud of galaxies which is probably elongated along our line of sight. These galaxies have faint, extended outer envelopes, seen on this deep image.