Galaxy Cluster in Coma Berenices
The Coma Galaxy Cluster is one of the richest galaxy clusters that can be observed with amateur telescopes (and the larger the telescope, the better). This group is roughly 250 million light years away, and it contains over 1000 galaxies. The image here shows only the central portion of the cluster, but well over 100 galaxies of various sizes and shapes are visible.
The two brightest galaxies in the center of this image are NGC 4889 (left, also called Caldwell 35) and NGC 4872 (right). Both are giant elliptical galaxies that are much larger than our own Milky Way galaxy.
NGC 4889:
| Magnitude | 11.5 |
| Apparent Size | 2.8' x 2.0' |
| Distance (light yrs) | 250 million |
| Right Ascension | 13:01.0 |
| Declination | +27 53 |
| Field of View | 29' x 22' |
Image details: Exposure times of 50 minutes luminance, and 15 minutes each of red, green, and blue, taken with an SBIG ST-8300M imager and a 14" Meade LX850 telescope at f/6.
April 2017