Cosmic structures · Rich cluster of galaxies
Coma Cluster
321 million light-years · Light crosses it in 20 million years
- Across
- 20.0 million light-years
- Vs Earth
- 200× Milky Way
- Mass
- 700.0 trillion Suns
Open Coma Cluster in Cosmic Scale
In the app, Coma Cluster is part of the Beyond pack.
About
The Coma Cluster is a rich cluster of over 1,000 galaxies, most of them ellipticals. In 1933 Fritz Zwicky found its galaxies moving too fast to be held together by what can be seen — the first evidence of dark matter.
Where Fritz Zwicky first found signs of dark matter, in 1933.
At a glance
| Distance | 321 million light-years |
|---|---|
| Galaxies | Over 1,000 |
| Mass | About 700 trillion Suns |
| Dark matter | About 90% of its mass |
Did you know
- At its centre are two giant ellipticals, NGC 4874 and NGC 4889.
- Hot gas between its galaxies glows in X-rays at around 100 million degrees.
- Zwicky called the missing mass 'dunkle Materie' — dark matter.
Real photo
- The Coma Cluster in infrared from the 2MASS survey, its two giant ellipticals at the centre — 2MASS · source