This object is a cluster of galaxies located over 200 million light years away in the constellation of Perseus. This view, which spans almost 10 million light years, captures one of the most massive objects in the known universe. I have included an annotated image with many of the galaxies identified.
Most of the galaxies in the image are elliptical galaxies, but there are plenty of other beautiful spiral galaxies scattered about. My favorites from left to right are NGC 1275, PGC 12397, NGC 1268, and NGC 1264 (on the right edge). Several galaxies appear to be distorted from adjacent galaxies but they are too small to visually confirm this.
I tried hard to capture detail on the amazing galaxy known as NGC 1275, the brightest galaxy in the image. Hubble images of this giant elliptical galaxy show an amazing amount of structure, including red filaments of gas and darker areas towards the edge of the galaxy. Scientists believe that this structure is from a spiral galaxy that was assimilated in the past. These details are faintly visible in my image. I probably would have thought that these details are artifacts had I not had access to the Hubble image.
A wider field of view of these objects is seen
here.
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