Norma Cluster

The Norma Cluster (ACO 3627 or Abell 3627) is a rich cluster of galaxies near the center of the Great Attractor.^[1]

It is both nearby and bright; but it is difficult to observe because it is in the Zone of Avoidance. This is a region near the plane of the Milky Way, which obscures our view. The cluster is hidden by interstellar dust at optical wavelengths. Its mass is estimated to be on the order of 10¹⁵ solar masses.^[2]

Other websites

ESO Press Photos 46a-j/99 Archived 2006-09-22 at the Wayback Machine
The Norma Cluster on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images
Galaxy cluster has two 'tails' to tell. NASA Image of the Day, January 22, 2010.

References

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[1] R. C. Kraan-Korteweg, in Lecture Notes in Physics 556, edited by D. Pageand J.G. Hirsch, p301 (Springer, Berlin, 2000).

[2] H. Boehringer et al., Astrophys. J. 467, 168 (1996)., R. C. Kraan-Korteweg et al., Nature 379, 519 (1996).

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