Suzaku Mapped Iron, Magnesium, Silicon and Sulfur in 4 Directions across Virgo Galaxy Cluster (IMAGE)

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Suzaku Mapped Iron, Magnesium, Silicon and Sulfur in 4 Directions across Virgo Galaxy Cluster

Caption

Suzaku mapped iron, magnesium, silicon and sulfur in four directions all across the Virgo galaxy cluster for the first time. The northern arm of the survey (top) extends 5 million light-years from M87 (center), the massive galaxy at the cluster's heart. Ratios of these elements are constant throughout the cluster, which means they were mixed well early in cosmic history. The dashed circle shows what astronomers call the virial radius, the boundary where gas clouds are just entering the cluster. Some prominent members of the cluster are labeled as well. The background image is part of the all-sky X-ray survey acquired by the German ROSAT satellite. The blue box at center indicates the area shown in the visible light image.

Credit

Credits: A. Simionescu (JAXA) and Hans Boehringer (MPE)

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