Galaxy
Group
and Clu
ster
Astrono
my at
RIT
Spitzer,)HST,)GALEX,)&)Chandra)Image)
23
Green Bank
100M
Hershel
3.5M
Credit:
)NRAO
Hubb
Teles le Space
cope
(HST
)
2.4
M
)
ity)
ago)Univers
Credit:)Chic
Sloan
l
Digita
Sky
Survey
2.5M
Credit:
)Hubble
s
ite)
In Space
On Earth
Astronomers at RIT want to learn about galaxy groups and
clusters. They use a variety of ground- and space-based
telescopes.
24
E
R
E
H
E
YOU AR
Milky Way galaxy
Artist’s representation
lives!
n
u
s
e
h
t
e
r
e
Here’s wh
skirts of
t
u
o
e
h
t
n
o
We are
e
It takes th
.
y
a
W
y
k
l
i
the M
on years to
i
l
l
i
m
0
0
2
sun
around the
e
c
n
o
l
e
v
a
r
t
galaxy.
Credit:)NASA/JPLJCaltech/R)
25
Sometimes galaxies run past each other or even
combine!
M
ZOO
Antennae
Galaxies
This can
jumpstart sta
r
formation and
make irregula
rly
shaped galaxie
s
like the ones
shown here.
26
Credit:)HubbleSite)
Living as a group of galaxies, the Milky Way has
neighbors: the larger Andromeda and the smaller
Triangulum.
The Milky Way s Hom
e
ocal Group
Andromeda Galaxy
’s interpretation.
ale.
NGC185
NGC147
M32
Triangulum Galaxy
NGC205
Pegasus
IC1613
Milky Way Galaxy
Draco
Fornax
WLM
Ursa
Minor
Sculptor
LEo I
Leo II
NGC6822
Sextans
SMC
LMC
Carina
Artist’s representation of the Local Group
e dozens of
r
a
e
er
h
t
y
x
la
rger ga
million years
.5
Around each la
2
t
h
g
li
es
s. It tak
dwarf galaxie
Andromeda.
m
o
fr
h
t
r
a
E
to get to
27
Hundreds, or even thousands, of galaxies can live
together in a cluster.
A crow
d
ed
neighb
orhood
Abell 1689
shown here
has
over 2000
galaxies liv
ing
far, far awa
y
from Earth.
Collisions c
an
happen more
often when
it’s
crowded!
28
Credit:)HubbleSite)
The Univers
e
from afar
360
block of the universe
a
is
re
he
ed
at
ul
m
Si
across. Each zoom in
million light years
ving in clusters and
li
es
xi
la
ga
e
th
s
ow
sh
dominated by the
eb
w
t
an
gi
a
in
ps
grou
ter*”!
mysterious “dark mat
A light year is the distance it
takes light to travel in one
year—nearly 6 trillion miles!
Zoomed out
‘Cosmic Web’
Cluster
360 million Light years
Single galaxy
Credit:)BoylanJKolchin)et)al.)(2009))
29