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Keyword: hydracluster

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  • Astronomy Picture of the Day -- The Hydra Cluster of Galaxies

    05/12/2012 4:52:21 AM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 6 replies
    NASA ^ | May 12, 2012 | (see photo credit)
    Explanation: Two stars within our own Milky Way galaxy anchor the foreground of this cosmic snapshot. Beyond them lie the galaxies of the Hydra Cluster. In fact, while the spiky foreground stars are hundreds of light-years distant, the Hydra Cluster galaxies are over 100 million light-years away. Three large galaxies near the cluster center, two yellow ellipticals (NGC 3311, NGC 3309) and one prominent blue spiral (NGC 3312), are the dominant galaxies, each about 150,000 light-years in diameter. An intriguing overlapping galaxy pair cataloged as NGC 3314 is just above and left of NGC 3312. Also known as Abell 1060,...