Virgo Cluster

The Virgo Cluster is a nearby, gravitationally bound cluster of thousands of galaxies in the constellation Virgo. It is the central concentration of the Virgo Supercluster.

Galaxy cluster: A gravitationally bound system containing many galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter. The Virgo Cluster is a nearby example of this larger class of cosmic structure.
Dark matter halo: A gravitationally bound distribution of dark matter surrounding a galaxy or larger structure. The cluster’s dark matter halo supplies most of its gravitational mass.
Messier 87: A giant elliptical galaxy near the center of the Virgo Cluster, hosting a supermassive black hole. Its central position and enormous mass make it Virgo’s most prominent galaxy.
Virgo Cluster distance: The estimated distance from the Milky Way to the Virgo Cluster, roughly 16.5 megaparsecs. Its proximity makes Virgo a key reference point for measuring distances beyond the Local Group.
Galaxy quenching: The cessation or strong reduction of star formation in a galaxy. Environmental processes in Virgo help explain why many cluster galaxies are no longer forming stars.
Virgo Supercluster: A large-scale concentration of galaxy groups and clusters centered on the Virgo Cluster. It places Virgo at the center of a broader structure containing the Local Group.
Intracluster medium: The hot, diffuse plasma filling the space between galaxies in a galaxy cluster. Its X-ray-emitting gas is a major component of Virgo’s baryonic matter.
Messier 49: A giant elliptical galaxy that is the brightest member of the southern Virgo Cluster substructure. It anchors a major concentration distinct from the region around Messier 87.
Hubble's law: The relation between a galaxy’s recessional velocity and its distance in the expanding universe. Virgo’s motion and distance illustrate departures from the simple expansion relation nearby.
Morphology–density relation: The observed tendency for dense environments to contain more elliptical and lenticular galaxies than spirals. Virgo’s crowded regions exemplify the connection between galaxy form and environment.

Linked from 20 pages