The Fornax Cluster is a cluster of galaxies lying at a distance of 19 megaparsecs (62 million light-years). It has an estimated mass of solar masses, making it the second richest galaxy cluster within 100 million light-years, after the considerably larger Virgo Cluster. It may be associated with the nearby Eridanus Group. It lies primarily in the constellation Fornax, with its southern boundaries partially crossing into the constellation of Eridanus, and covers an area of sky about 6° across or about 28 sq degrees.

The Fornax Cluster is a particularly valuable source of information about the evolution of such clusters due to its relatively close proximity to the Sun. It also shows the gravitational effects of a merger of a galaxy subgroup with the main galaxy group, which in turn lends clues about the associated galactic superstructure. At the centre of the cluster lies NGC 1399. Other cluster members include NGC 1316 (the group's brightest galaxy), NGC 1365, NGC 1427A, NGC 1427 and NGC 1404.

Structure Fornax can be divided into two subclusters: the main cluster, centered on NGC 1399, and a subgroup 3 degrees to the southwest centered on the lenticular galaxy NGC 1316 that is currently in the process of infalling with the largest subcluster to merge with it, and whose galaxies are experiencing relatively strong star formation activity.

Intracluster medium As with many other galaxy clusters, Fornax intracluster medium is filled with a hot, rarefied gas that emits X-rays. and contains a number of intergalactic stars, some of which have produced novae.

List of cluster members + Cluster Members Designation Coordinates (Epoch J2000) Apparent magnitude Type Mean Angular diameter(arcminutes) Diameter(x1000 Light-years) Distance(mly) Recessional velocity(km/s) Right Ascension DeclinationESO 357-07 03 10.4 −33 09 14.7 SBm 2.2 40 981ESO 357-12 03 16.9 −35 32 14.8 SBcd 2.2 40 1445IC 1913 03 19.6 −32 28 14.5 SBb 2.1 40 67 1318NGC 1310 03 21.1 −37 06 13 SBc 1.9 3564 1640LEDA 12625 03 22.1 −37 35 ? Irr 2.9 55 1507NGC 1316 03 22.7 −37 12 9.4 (R')SAB(s)0 11.521562 1664NGC 1317 03 22.7 −37 06 11.9 SBa 3.0 5570 1935NGC 1326 03 23.9 −36 28 11.5 S0 4.3 8063 1247NGC 1326A 03 25.1 −36 22 14.7 SBm 1.7 30 841719NGC 1326B 03 25.3 −36 23 13.7 SBm 3.5 65 46888IC 1919 03 26.0 −32 54 13.9 E 1.6 30 611158NGC 1336 03 26.5 −35 43 13.4 E 1.9 35 651360NGC 1341 03 28.0 −37 09 13.3 SBab 1.6 30 861760NGC 1339 03 28.1 −32 17 12.8 E 1.9 35 641240NGC 1344 03 28.3 −31 04 11.2 E 5.6 105 601052ESO 358-09 03 28.8 −35 11 14.2 SBbc 2.3 45 1241ESO 358-10 03 29.7 −33 33 14.8 E 1.5 30 1620NGC 1351 03 30.6 −34 51 12.4 E-S0 3.2 6069 1420NGC 1350* 03 31.1 −33 38 11.2 Sa(r) 5.8 13087 1905NGC 1365 03 33.6 −36 08 10.3 (R')SBb(s)b 11.020556 1636NGC 1366 03 33.9 −31 12 13.1 S0 1.9 35 561137NGC 1374 03 35.3 −35 14 11.0 E 2.7 5059 1240NGC 1375* 03 35.3 −35 16 12.2 SB0 pec 2.1 2328 643IC 335 03 35.5 −34 27 13.4 S0 2.3 4560 1530NGC 1379 03 36.1 −35 26 11.9 E 2.6 50 601264NGC 1380 03 36.5 −34 59 9.9 S0 4.8 8560 1737NGC 1381 03 36.5 −35 18 11.5 S0 2.6 5560 1673NGC 1369 03 36.8 −36 15 13.6 Sa 1.7 30 651340NGC 1386 03 36.8 −36 00 11.2 (R)SA(r)0/a 3.4 6553 868NGC 1380A 03 36.8 −34 44 13.4 S0 2.5 45 721419NGC 1387 03 37.0 −35 30 10.8(R')SAB(s)0 3.2 6053 1296NGC 1382 03 37.1 −35 12 13.8 E 1.5 30 801697NGC 1389 03 37.2 −35 45 12.6 E 2.6 5042 883NGC 1396 03 38.6 −35 27 13.8 E 0.7 767 853NGC 1399 03 38.5 −35 26 9.9 E 6.8 13066 1335NGC 1404 03 38.9 −35 36 10.9 E 4.1 7565 1942NGC 1406 03 39.4 −31 19 12.9 SBbc 3.9 75 50963NGC 1427A 03 40.1 −35 38 13.4 Irr 2.1 4052 2028ESO 358-50 03 41.1 −33 47 13.9 S0 1.6 30 1151ESO 358-51 03 41.5 −34 53 14.1 Sa 1.5 30 1626NGC 1425 03 42.2 −29 54 11.4 SA(rs)b 6.0 11569 1402NGC 1427 03 42.3 −35 24 11.8 E 3.6 7071 1327NGC 1428 03 42.4 −35 09 14.0 E 1.5 3075 1602NGC 1437A 03 43.0 −36 16 14.2 SBd 1.7 30 41798NGC 1436 03 43.6 −35 51 11.7 SBab 2.8 5058 1296ESO 358-60 03 45.2 −35 34 15.6 Irr 1.7 30 710NGC 1437B 03 45.9 −36 22 14.0 Sc 2.5 45 691415NGC 1460 03 46.2 −36 42 13.5 SB0 1.7 3063 1341PGC 13809 03 46.3 −34 57 12.6 Sc 4.8 90 1838IC 1993 03 47.1 −33 42 12.6 (R')SA(s)bc 2.5 4550 1057ESO 302-09 03 47.6 −38 35 14.6 SBd 2.2 40 908ESO 302-14 03 51.7 −38 27 15.5 Irr 1.5 30 798ESO 359-03 03 52.0 −33 28 14.1 Sab 1.8 35 1495NGC 1484 03 54.3 −36 58 13.9 Sb 2.5 45 48952IC 2006 03 54.3 −35 58 12.5 E 1.9 3565 1382NGC 1531 04 11.2 −32 51 12.9 S0 1.3 15 57 1169NGC 1532 04 12.1 −32 52 10.7 SBb 12.6 210 57 (*) - Membership is uncertain

Gallery

See also List of galaxy groups and clusters Coma Cluster Eridanus Cluster Norma Cluster Virgo Cluster NGC 1365

References

External links