Download Galaxy Clusters

National Science Foundation • Division of Astronomical Sciences
Cosmic close encounters in compact groups of galaxies are revealed
in DECam images from the Blanco 4-m at CTIO
Prepared by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy
National Science Foundation • Division of Astronomical Sciences
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Compact Galaxy Groups Reveal Details of
Close Encounters of the Cosmic Kind
The team aims to combine DECam images
with spectroscopic data to reveal the
velocities of the galaxies, leading to a much
better understanding of their gravitational
interactions. The imagery reveals the
assembly history of these close neighbors.
Galaxies are the basic visible building
blocks of the Universe. They are rarely
found in isolation, but rather in sparse
groups – sort of galactic urban sprawl. But
occasional dense concentrations are
found. The galaxies in these “Compact
Groups” show dramatic differences in the
way they evolve and change with time
compared with galaxies in more isolated
surroundings. Collisions between galaxies
in these dense groups are common,
leading to rapid star formation, but there
seems to be more to the puzzle. The Dark
Energy Camera, which can image a field
four times the size of the full moon, is
searching for clues.
Prepared by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy