Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Coma Berenices (Com)  ·  Contains:  IC 3946  ·  IC 3949  ·  IC 4040  ·  IC 4051  ·  NGC 4860  ·  NGC 4865  ·  NGC 4867  ·  NGC 4869  ·  NGC 4872  ·  NGC 4873  ·  NGC 4874  ·  NGC 4881  ·  NGC 4886  ·  NGC 4889  ·  NGC 4895  ·  NGC 4896  ·  NGC 4907  ·  NGC 4908  ·  NGC 4911  ·  NGC 4919  ·  NGC 4921  ·  NGC 4923
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Abell 1656 - The Coma Cluster of Galaxies, Douglas J Struble
Abell 1656 - The Coma Cluster of Galaxies
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Abell 1656 - The Coma Cluster of Galaxies

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Abell 1656 - The Coma Cluster of Galaxies, Douglas J Struble
Abell 1656 - The Coma Cluster of Galaxies
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Abell 1656 - The Coma Cluster of Galaxies

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Description

Also known as Abell 1656, the Coma Cluster is over 300 million light-years away containing roughly 1000 galaxies. The cluster, named after its parent constellation Coma Berenices, is near the Milky Way's north pole. This places the Coma Cluster in an area that is not obscured by dust and gas from the plane of the Milky Way, and so is easily visible to observers here on Earth.

Most of the galaxies that inhabit the central portion of the Coma Cluster are elliptical galaxies. These apparently featureless "fuzz-balls" are a pale golden brown in colour and contain populations of old stars. Both dwarf and giant ellipticals are found in abundance in the Coma Cluster.

Farther out from the centre of the cluster there are several spiral galaxies. These galaxies contain clouds of cold gas that are giving birth to new stars. Spiral arms and dust lanes "accessorise" these bright bluish-white galaxies, which have a distinctive disc structure.

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Abell 1656 - The Coma Cluster of Galaxies, Douglas J Struble