Hydra-Centaurus Supercluster
Encyclopedia
Supercluster
Superclusters are large groups of smaller galaxy groups and clusters and are among the largest known structures of the cosmos. They are so large that they are not gravitationally bound and, consequently, partake in the Hubble expansion.-Existence:...
in two parts and the closest neighbour
Neighbourhood
A neighbourhood or neighborhood is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. "Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition...
of Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
's Virgo Supercluster
Virgo Supercluster
The Virgo Supercluster or Local Supercluster is the irregular supercluster that contains the Virgo Cluster in addition to the Local Group, which in turn contains the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies. At least 100 galaxy groups and clusters are located within its diameter of 33 megaparsecs...
.
The cluster includes four large galaxy clusters in the Centaurus part
- A3526 (Centaurus cluster)Centaurus ClusterThe Centaurus Cluster is a cluster of hundreds of galaxies, located approximately 155 million light years away in the Centaurus constellation. The brightest member galaxy is the elliptical galaxy NGC 4696...
, - A3565,
- A3574,
- A3581
and the proximate
- Hydra ClusterHydra ClusterThe Hydra Cluster is a cluster of galaxies that contains 157 bright galaxies and can be viewed from earth in the constellation Hydra. The cluster spans about ten million light years and has an unusual high proportion of dark matter. The cluster is part of the Hydra-Centaurus Supercluster located...
(A1060) and - Norma clusterNorma clusterThe Norma Cluster is a rich cluster of galaxies located near the center of the Great Attractor. Although it is both nearby and bright, it is difficult to observe because it is located in the Zone of Avoidance, a region near the plane of the Milky Way. Consequently, the cluster is severely...
(A3627).
Apart from the central clusters, which are 150 to 200 millions of light years away, several smaller clusters belong to the group.
Within the proximity of this Supercluster lies the Great Attractor
Great Attractor
The Great Attractor is a gravity anomaly in intergalactic space within the range of the Centaurus Supercluster that reveals the existence of a localised concentration of mass equivalent to tens of thousands of Milky Ways, observable by its effect on the motion of galaxies and their associated...
, dominated by the Norma Cluster
Norma cluster
The Norma Cluster is a rich cluster of galaxies located near the center of the Great Attractor. Although it is both nearby and bright, it is difficult to observe because it is located in the Zone of Avoidance, a region near the plane of the Milky Way. Consequently, the cluster is severely...
(ACO 3627). This massive cluster of galaxies exerts a large gravitational force, causing all matter within 50 Mpc to experience a bulk flow of 600 km/s toward the Norma Cluster