Contact: Gertie Skaarup
skaarup@nbi.dk
453-532-5320
University of Copenhagen

Bullet Cluster

Caption: The two clusters of galaxies, called Bullet Cluster, are in the process of moving through each other. The red curves show gravitational measurements of the combined mass that consists of partly the visible matter of the galaxies and partly the invisible dark matter. X-ray measurements of the two clusters of galaxies show that the clouds of gas have been pushed out at the collision between the two clusters of galaxies. In the cluster of galaxies to the right there is a lot of dark matter, but very little x-ray, so the dark matter decays very slowly and thus has a very, very long lifetime.

Credit: Photo: Chandra x-ray telescope

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