Abell 1656, or the Coma Cluster, is one of the largest galaxy clusters in the observable universe, spanning 20 million light years in diameter and containing thousands of galaxies. Near the center of the cluster are dimmer elliptical galaxies, which contain older stars, very little dust, and, if large enough, a supermassive black hole at their core. On the fringes of the cluster are spiral galaxies, which are hotbeds of stellar formation and contain distinctive dust lanes and arms. Interestingly, when our Milky Way Galaxy collides with the Andromeda Galaxy in several billion years, they will both lose their spiral structures and form one massive elliptical galaxy.
Acquisition Date: February 28-March 12, 2022
Acquisition Site: Backyard, San Carlos, CA
Image Specs: 157 x 300s (13h 5m)
Equipment: ZWO ASI2600MC-Pro, Takahashi TOA-130NFB, AP1200GTO mount