Key facts
- Category
- Galaxy clusters
- Object class
- Galaxy cluster
- Scale fact
- 2.4 million lydiameter
- Composition
- ~1,000 galaxies, hot intracluster gas, dark matter
Abell 1689
2.4 million lydiameter
Visual creditHubble 2013 / NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), J. Blakeslee (NRC Herzberg Astrophysics Program, Dominion Astrophysical Observatory), and H. Ford (JHU) / CC BY 4.0Source: Wikimedia Commons
Details
Abell 1689 is a massive galaxy cluster whose gravity creates some of the strongest and clearest gravitational lensing arcs ever observed. It is packed with galaxies, dark matter, and hot intracluster gas, making it one of the best-studied natural lenses for probing both the distant universe and the hidden mass inside galaxy clusters.
Abell 1689 is a massive galaxy cluster whose gravity produces dozens of elongated and multiply imaged background galaxies. Modelling those lensing arcs maps the cluster’s total mass, including the dark matter that emits no light.
The same magnification makes intrinsically faint, distant galaxies easier to observe. Its 2.4-million-light-year diameter describes the central cluster region used here, while both the mass distribution and lensing influence extend without a sharp edge.
Links
- Preset views
- Wikipedia
- Abell 1689 on Wikipedia
- Universe journey
- Cosmic web
Size neighbors
Objects near Abell 1689 on the scale
On the logarithmic size axis, Abell 1689 falls between NGC 6872 and Pandora's Cluster. The band uses nearby Galaxy cluster records.
Shared physical scale
15.3million ly
Sources
References for Abell 1689
Measurements and descriptive context are compiled by the Scale of Space team from the references below. If you find an error, please let us know.
- Abell 1689 — Wikipedia
- Visual reference: Wikimedia Commons (Hubble 2013 / NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), J. Blakeslee (NRC Herzberg Astrophysics Program, Dominion Astrophysical Observatory), and H. Ford (JHU), CC BY 4.0)
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About
Scale of Space is a scroll-based journey through the universe, placing objects on a single logarithmic scale so you can compare size across an unbroken range.
Guides explain selected parts of that range, while focused views filter the objects by subject.