Abell 1689 size and scale context

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. Read its scale context, comparisons, and journey links on the canonical object page.

Scroll up for smaller

Scroll down for larger

Between the smallest and the largest, perspective is everything.

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 turn parts of that scale into curated essays, while focused views let you explore the same range through specific groups of objects.

Editorial

Solar System Planets From Electron to Atoms Stars To Scale Birth And Death Of Stars Black Holes To Scale

Views

Planets of the Solar System Stars of the Universe Black holes Subatomic scale

Return to Earth hello@scaleofspace.org

Between the smallest and the largest, perspective is everything.

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 turn parts of that scale into curated essays, while focused views let you explore the same range through specific groups of objects.

Editorial

Solar System Planets From Electron to Atoms Stars To Scale Birth And Death Of Stars Black Holes To Scale

Views

Planets of the Solar System Stars of the Universe Black holes Subatomic scale

Return to Earth hello@scaleofspace.org

Galaxy clusters

Perseus Cluster

The Perseus Cluster is one of the most massive known galaxy clusters in the nearby universe. It contains thousands of galaxies embedded in a vast cloud of superheated gas, and its violent core has become one of astronomy’s most important laboratories for studying dark matter, hot intracluster plasma, and the effects of a supermassive black hole on its surroundings.

Scale fact11.6 million lydiameter

Object class: Galaxy cluster
Host: Pisces–Perseus Supercluster
Composition: ~1,000 galaxies, hot intracluster gas, dark matter

Galaxy clusters

Coma Cluster

The Coma Cluster is one of the richest and most famous galaxy clusters in the nearby universe. Its galaxies move as if embedded in far more mass than we can see directly, making Coma one of the classic systems that helped reveal the existence of dark matter.

Scale fact20 million lydiameter

Object class: Galaxy cluster
Host: Coma Supercluster
Composition: ~1,000 galaxies, hot intracluster gas, dark matter