Unraveling the Secrets of NGC 4839: Discover the Record-Breaking Galaxy Cluster

The Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO), under NASA's management, has detected the galaxy cluster NGC 4839, boasting an unprecedented tail length. Examining this formation is anticipated to offer deeper insights into the growth of galaxy clusters, which rank among the universe's most colossal structures. Findings from this study were shared at the 242nd American Astronomical Society meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and featured in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society's June edition.

Galaxy clusters comprise up to around fifty galaxies bound together by gravity. Even larger galaxy superclusters may encompass hundreds or thousands of galaxies.

Both galaxy clusters and superclusters are shrouded in vast quantities of scorching gas that is highly visible in the X-ray spectrum. This gas constitutes a significant portion of the mass in galaxy groups or clusters, making it essential to comprehending these systems.

NGC 4839, positioned near the Chioma cluster's edge, is situated approximately three hundred and forty million light-years from Earth. As it advances toward the cluster's core, the gas within the cluster is drawn away by the surrounding cluster gas, generating a tail-like formation trailing the group of galaxies.

Spanning around 1.5 million light-years (equivalent to hundreds of thousands of times the distance between the Sun and its closest neighboring star), NGC 4839's tail is the longest observed behind a galaxy group. Eventually, the tail will merge with the hot gas already present in the cluster.