Galaxies · Supergiant elliptical galaxy
ESO 383-76
About 700 million light-years · Light crosses it in 1.8 million years
- Across
- 1.8 million light-years
- Vs Earth
- 18× Milky Way
Open ESO 383-76 in Cosmic Scale
In the app, ESO 383-76 is part of the Beyond pack.
About
ESO 383-76 is a supergiant elliptical galaxy at the heart of the galaxy cluster Abell 3571, in the Shapley Supercluster — the densest gathering of galaxies in our part of the universe. Like IC 1101 it is a cD galaxy: a huge ball of old stars wrapped in a faint, sprawling halo, grown by swallowing the galaxies around it.
About 1.8 million light-years across — nearly 18 Milky Ways side by side.
At a glance
| Distance | About 700 million light-years |
|---|---|
| Type | Supergiant elliptical (cD) |
| Cluster | Abell 3571, Shapley Supercluster |
| Constellation | Centaurus |
Did you know
- Its faint outer halo fades so gradually that its size depends on how deep an image goes; published figures differ widely.
- The Shapley Supercluster around it is so massive that its gravity tugs on the Milky Way from 650 million light-years away.
- cD galaxies like it are found only at the centres of rich clusters, where a steady supply of smaller galaxies falls in to be eaten.