Concept information
Preferred term
galaxy cluster
Definition(s)
- A galaxy cluster, or a cluster of galaxies, is a structure that consists of anywhere from hundreds to thousands of galaxies that are bound together by gravity, with typical masses ranging from 10¹⁴ to 10¹⁵ solar masses. They are the second-largest known gravitationally bound structures in the universe after galaxy filaments and were believed to be the largest known structures in the universe until the 1980s, when superclusters were discovered. One of the key features of clusters is the intracluster medium (ICM). The ICM consists of heated gas between the galaxies and has a peak temperature between 2–15 keV that is dependent on the total mass of the cluster. Galaxy clusters should not be confused with galactic clusters (also known as open clusters), which are star clusters within galaxies, or with globular clusters, which typically orbit galaxies. Small aggregates of galaxies are referred to as galaxy groups rather than clusters of galaxies. The galaxy groups and clusters can themselves cluster together to form superclusters. (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_cluster)
Broader concept(s)
Narrower concept(s)
Synonym(s)
- cluster of galaxies
In other languages
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French
URI
http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/MDL-SB52W5QH-V
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