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On this page I collect my observations of the elliptical galaxy NGC 4889 (identical to NGC 4884) and of the elliptical galaxy NGC 4874 in the constellation Coma Berenices, which belong to the Coma Galaxy Cluster (Abell 1656).
NGC 4889 is an elliptical galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices; it is very large and old and lies almost in the center of the Coma Galaxy Cluster (it is the largest galaxy in this cluster). Together with the elliptical galaxy NGC 4874 (also very large), it dominates the gravitational field of the galaxy cluster. The two star systems are very old and probably formed from the merger of several small spiral galaxies.
| NGC 4889 | NGC 4874 | |
| Size: 2.8 x 2' (Wikipedia) Distance: 291 million light years (Wikipedia) Rating: --- |
Size: 1.9 x 1.9' (Wikipedia) Distance: 321 million light years (Wikipedia) Rating: --- |
The Coma Galaxy Cluster is a huge collection of over 1000 galaxies that occupy an angle of about 3° × 5° in the constellation of Coma Berenices. Due to its relative proximity, it has played a major role in the study of the large-scale distribution of galaxies and bears the designation Abell 1656 in the catalog of the astronomer George Ogden Abell.
The central region is 2° in size and around 300 million light years away from the sun. The diameter of the Coma galaxy cluster is around 20 million light years.
The objects visible in a 50-cm telescope include, among others:
The Coma cluster is part of the Coma Supercluster.
In the sky just to the south is the much closer Virgo Cluster, whose distance is 45-60 million light years. However, it was only possible to identify individual galaxies in its background a few decades ago.
NGC 4889 (selected) is an elliptical galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices and about at the center of the Coma Galaxy Cluster (Image Courtesy of SkySafari Astronomy, www.simulationcurriculum.com)
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NGC 4889, Aug 20 2022 - original (89 frames = 890 seconds) |
NGC 4889, Aug 20, 2022 - original, processed (89 frames = 890 seconds) |
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NGC 4889 and NGC 4874 (lower right) marked |
Evaluation* with nova.astrometry.net - large |
*) Partly hard to decipher...
