El Gordo (galaxy cluster)

El Gordo (lit. The Fat One) (ACT-CL J0102-4915 or SPT-CL J0102-4915) is the largest distant galaxy cluster observed at its distance or beyond, as of 2011. As of 2014, it still holds the record for being the largest distant galaxy cluster to have been discovered with a mass of 3 quadrillion suns.[3][4][5][6] It was found by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, Atacama Cosmology Telescope - funded by National Science Foundation, and European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope.[7]

ACT-CL J0102-4915
El Gordo consists of two separate galaxy subclusters colliding at several million
kilometres per hour.
Credit: ESO/SOAR/NASA
Observation data (Epoch J2000.0 [1])
Constellation(s)Phoenix
Right ascension 01h 02m 52.50s [1]
Declination−49° 14′ 58.0″ [1]
Redshift0.87 [1]
Other designations
El Gordo,[1] ACT-CL J0102-4915,[2] SPT-CL J0102-4915[2]

This galaxy cluster, officially named as, 'ACT-CL J0102-4915', has been given a 'nickname' by the researchers as 'El Gordo', which stands for "the Fat One" or "the Big One" in Spanish. It is located more than 7 billion light-years from Earth.[8]

Findings and results on 'El Gordo' were announced at the 219th meeting of American Astronomical Society in Austin, Texas.[9]

Observations

Felipe Menanteau (then of Rutgers University) who led the study stated "this cluster is the most massive, the hottest, and gives off the most X-rays of any known cluster at this distance or beyond."[10]

Findings from the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory show that El Gordo is composed of two separate galaxy subclusters, colliding at several million kilometers per hour.[11] These observations (using X-ray data and other characteristics) suggest that 'El Gordo' most probably formed in the same manner as the Bullet Cluster (which is located 4 billion light years from Earth).[12][13][14][15]

  • Galaxy cluster CT-CL J0102-4915 contains the mass of a staggering three million billion Suns.[16]
  • Hubble image of ACT-CL J0102-4915.[17]

See also
  • List of galaxy clusters
  • RCS2 J2327, another galaxy cluster being the second most massive galaxy cluster at a record of 2 Quadrillion Suns.

References
  1. "NAME El Gordo". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg.
  2. "SPT-CL J0102-4915". NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database.
  3. Guinness World Records 2014, Page 030.
  4. Boen, Brooke; Dunbar, Brian (16 April 2014). "Monster "El Gordo" Galaxy Cluster is Bigger Than Thought". NASA. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  5. NASA, "El Gordo Galaxy Cluster", 10 January 2012 (accessed 7 July 2012)
  6. Monster NASA "Monster "El Gordo" Galaxy Cluster is Bigger Than Thought"
  7. CNN News 'Fat' galaxy cluster discovered 7 billion light-years away
  8. NASA's Chandra Finds Largest Galaxy Cluster in Early Universe
  9. Choi, Charles (January 10, 2012). "Monster Galaxy Cluster 'El Gordo' Packs Mass of 2 Quadrillion Suns". Space.com. Space.com. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  10. Felipe Menanteau of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., who led the study
  11. CNN News El Gordo is made up of two separate galaxy subclusters
  12. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110140423.htm
  13. El Gordo akin to the well-known object called the Bullet Cluster
  14. El Gordo most probably formed just like the Blue Cluster
  15. El Gordo akin to the well-known object called the Bullet Cluster
  16. "A gargantuan collision". www.spacetelescope.org. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  17. "Hubble weighs "the fat one"". ESA/Hubble Picture of the Week. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
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