Brightest galaxy in Abell 2261
The giant elliptical galaxy in the centre of this image, taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, is the most massive and brightest member of the galaxy cluster Abell 2261. Astronomers refer to it as the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG). Spanning a little over one million light-years, the galaxy is about 20 times the diameter of our Milky Way galaxy.
Astronomers used Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys and Wide Field Camera 3 to measure the amount of starlight across the galaxy, catalogued as 2MASX J17222717+3207571 but more commonly called A2261-BCG (short for Abell 2261 brightest cluster galaxy). Abell 2261 is located three billion light-years away.
The observations were taken between March and May 2011. The Abell 2261 cluster is part of a multi-wavelength survey called the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH).
Credit:NASA, ESA, M. Postman (Space Telescope Science Institute, USA), T. Lauer (National Optical Astronomy Observatory, USA), and the CLASH team.
About the Image
| Id: | heic1216a |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 25 October 2012, 19:00 |
| Related releases: | heic1718, heic1216 |
| Size: | 2641 x 1796 px |
About the Object
| Name: | 2MASX J17222717+3207571, Abell 2261 |
| Type: | Local Universe : Galaxy : Grouping : Cluster Early Universe : Galaxy : Type : Elliptical |
| Distance: | 3 billion light years |
| Constellation: | Hercules |
| Category: | Galaxies |
Wallpapers
Coordinates
| Position (RA): | 17 22 27.27 |
| Position (Dec): | 32° 7' 58.08" |
| Field of view: | 2.86 x 1.95 arcminutes |
| Orientation: | North is 165.6° right of vertical |
Colours & filters
| Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
|---|---|---|
| Optical B | 435 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
| Optical B | 475 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
| Optical R | 606 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
| Optical R | 625 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
| Infrared I | 775 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
| Infrared I | 850 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
| Infrared Y | 1.05 μm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFC3 |
| Infrared Y | 1.1 μm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFC3 |
| Infrared J | 1.25 μm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFC3 |
| Infrared J | 1.4 μm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFC3 |
| Infrared H | 1.6 μm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFC3 |