The Coma Cluster
Abell 1656 • Galaxy cluster • Coma Berenices • 320 million light-years from Earth
🔭
Askar 130PHQ
📷
ZWO 2600MC Pro
🌃
Bortle 8
⏱️
24 hours
🗓️
April & May 2024
Overview
The Coma Cluster, also known as Abell 1656, is a massive cluster of galaxies located around 320 million light years from Earth in the constellation Coma Berenices. It contains roughly a thousand known galaxies packed into a relatively small region of sky, making it one of the richest and best studied galaxy clusters.
From an astrophotography perspective, it offers a striking view of the large scale structure of the universe, with countless distant galaxies visible in a single frame. It’s a rewarding challenge to image this from a light-polluted city!
Background
First of all, apologies it’s taken me so long to produce a new image. I’ve had this sat on my harddrive for a while, but my day job has kept me too busy to do much with it!
Galaxies are tough for me to image for two main reasons. First is that they’re broadband targets, and so filters aren’t much use for combatting light pollution. You can read more in my guide to choosing filters. The answer, as it so often is for urban astrophotographers, is long integration times! This image is 24 hours in total. You can read my tips for getting long integration times.
The second challenge with galaxies is that they’re small. Ok, well actually galaxies are huge, but they’re also really far away, meaning they look tiny in the sky. There are some exceptions, like the Pinwheel Galaxy, but most galaxies are tiny pin-pricks even through my Askar 130PHQ telescope, despite its focal length of 1000mm. The Coma Cluster is a collection of galaxies though, which helps mitigate their small apparent size.
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Explore the field
Objects in this field 304 objects
304 objects
No matching objects.
- Coma ClusterACO 1656
- Galaxy cluster
- NGC 4889
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as C 35 · NGC 4884 · PGC 44715
- NGC 4874
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44628
- NGC 4907
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44819
- NGC 4895
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44737
- NGC 4848
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44405
- NGC 4921
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44899
- NGC 4911
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44840
- NGC 4908
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44832
- NGC 4898
- Galaxy pair
- NGC 4860
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44539
- NGC 4881
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44686
- NGC 4865
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44578
- IC 4051
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44828
- NGC 4869
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44587
- NGC 4864
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44566
- NGC 4919
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44885
- NGC 4854
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44502
- NGC 4872
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44624
- NGC 4886
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as NGC 4882 · PGC 44698
- NGC 4923
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44903
- IC 3946
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44508
- IC 4045
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44818
- IC 3949
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44524
- IC 3943
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44485
- NGC 4873
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44621
- IC 3959
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44553
- IC 4042
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44808
- NGC 4906
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44799
- NGC 4871
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44606
- NGC 4883
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44682
- IC 3973
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44612
- NGC 4927
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44945
- IC 3955
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44544
- NGC 4850
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44449
- NGC 4898B
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as NGC 4898E · PGC 3098454
- NGC 4867
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44568
- IC 4041
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44802
- NGC 4898A
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as NGC 4898W · PGC 44736
- NGC 4876
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44658
- IC 3947
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44515
- IC 4040
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44789
- IC 3963
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44567
- IC 3976
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44603
- IC 4026
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44749
- IC 3998
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44664
- IC 839
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as NGC 4851N · PGC 44423
- IC 3957
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44554
- NGC 4875
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44640
- IC 3960
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44551
- NGC 4895A
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44717
- IC 4021
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44726
- IC 4012
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44714
- NGC 4894
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44732
- NGC 4851
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as NGC 4851S · PGC 44439
- NGC 4858
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44535
- IC 4033
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44771
- IC 4011
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44705
- IC 4030
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44763
- IC 3968
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44598
- IC 4044
- GalaxyAlso catalogued as PGC 44821
- PGC 44319
- Galaxy
- PGC 83695
- Galaxy
- PGC 83716
- Galaxy
- PGC 44928
- Galaxy
- PGC 44537
- Galaxy
- PGC 44467
- Galaxy
- PGC 44784
- Galaxy
- PGC 44805
- Galaxy
- PGC 44364
- Galaxy
- PGC 44560
- Galaxy
- PGC 44699
- Galaxy
- PGC 44947
- Galaxy
- PGC 44511
- Galaxy
- PGC 44704
- Galaxy
- PGC 44849
- Galaxy
- PGC 44675
- Galaxy
- PGC 83688
- Galaxy
- PGC 44541
- Galaxy
- PGC 44864
- Galaxy
- PGC 83755
- Galaxy
- PGC 44929
- Galaxy
- PGC 44667
- Galaxy
- PGC 44581
- Galaxy
- PGC 44662
- Galaxy
- PGC 44351
- Galaxy
- PGC 44382
- Galaxy
- PGC 44708
- Galaxy
- PGC 44792
- Galaxy
- PGC 83736
- Galaxy
- PGC 44386
- Galaxy
- PGC 126787
- Galaxy
- PGC 44519
- Galaxy
- PGC 44616
- Galaxy
- PGC 44809
- Galaxy
- PGC 1828333
- Galaxy
- PGC 83696
- Galaxy
- PGC 83711
- Galaxy
- PGC 83751
- Galaxy
- PGC 83691
- Galaxy
- PGC 44518
- Galaxy
- PGC 44652
- Galaxy
- PGC 44710
- Galaxy
- PGC 126834
- Galaxy
- PGC 83741
- Galaxy
- PGC 44707
- Galaxy
- PGC 126832
- Galaxy
- PGC 44574
- Galaxy
- PGC 44636
- Galaxy
- PGC 44850
- Galaxy
- PGC 44592
- Galaxy
- PGC 44815
- Galaxy
- PGC 126751
- Galaxy
- PGC 126852
- Galaxy
- PGC 44547
- Galaxy
- PGC 44573
- Galaxy
- PGC 44597
- Galaxy
- PGC 44740
- Galaxy
- PGC 44602
- Galaxy
- PGC 126773
- Galaxy
- PGC 83702
- Galaxy
- PGC 126822
- Galaxy
- PGC 93694
- Galaxy
- PGC 44676
- Galaxy
- PGC 83750
- Galaxy
- PGC 1819771
- Galaxy
- PGC 1822502
- Galaxy
- PGC 126740
- Galaxy
- PGC 44609
- Galaxy
- PGC 83756
- Galaxy
- PGC 44691
- Galaxy
- PGC 93698
- Galaxy
- PGC 126738
- Galaxy
- PGC 1819621
- Galaxy
- PGC 126828
- Galaxy
- PGC 1827127
- Galaxy
- PGC 93697
- Galaxy
- PGC 126756
- Galaxy
- PGC 44878
- Galaxy
- PGC 1817584
- Galaxy
- PGC 44741
- Galaxy
- PGC 1820946
- Galaxy
- PGC 126798
- Galaxy
- PGC 44653
- Galaxy
- PGC 126766
- Galaxy
- PGC 1830396
- Galaxy
- PGC 44716
- Galaxy
- PGC 126733
- Galaxy
- PGC 83707
- Galaxy
- PGC 126791
- Galaxy
- PGC 126760
- Galaxy
- PGC 44909
- Galaxy
- PGC 1824071
- Galaxy
- PGC 126811
- Galaxy
- PGC 83745
- Galaxy
- PGC 1818232
- Galaxy
- PGC 1822852
- Galaxy
- PGC 1821898
- Galaxy
- PGC 126767
- Galaxy
- PGC 1820864
- Galaxy
- PGC 93696
- Galaxy
- PGC 126762
- Galaxy
- PGC 1829998
- Galaxy
- PGC 126817
- Galaxy
- PGC 44644
- Galaxy
- PGC 126784
- Galaxy
- PGC 126778
- Galaxy
- PGC 1819490
- Galaxy
- PGC 126748
- Galaxy
- PGC 126744
- Galaxy
- PGC 1830458
- Galaxy
- PGC 1829396
- Galaxy
- PGC 126849
- Galaxy
- PGC 126846
- Galaxy
- PGC 44576
- Galaxy
- PGC 1816180
- Galaxy
- PGC 126752
- Galaxy
- PGC 1816430
- Galaxy
- PGC 1815605
- Galaxy
- PGC 1828715
- Galaxy
- PGC 1827425
- Galaxy
- PGC 126844
- Galaxy
- PGC 44466
- Galaxy
- PGC 1819310
- Galaxy
- PGC 126815
- Galaxy
- PGC 126809
- Galaxy
- PGC 44594
- Galaxy
- PGC 44651
- Galaxy
- PGC 1822111
- Galaxy
- PGC 1831587
- Galaxy
- PGC 1824079
- Galaxy
- PGC 1821555
- Galaxy
- PGC 44635
- Galaxy
- PGC 44692
- Galaxy
- PGC 1830655
- Galaxy
- PGC 1822726
- Galaxy
- PGC 1825846
- Galaxy
- PGC 44522
- Galaxy
- PGC 44533
- Galaxy
- PGC 44656
- Galaxy
- PGC 1821341
- Galaxy
- PGC 126768
- Galaxy
- PGC 126775
- Galaxy
- PGC 1821143
- Galaxy
- PGC 93695
- Galaxy
- PGC 126800
- Galaxy
- PGC 126742
- Galaxy
- PGC 126833
- Galaxy
- PGC 44483
- Galaxy
- PGC 126801
- Galaxy
- PGC 1826064
- Galaxy
- PGC 126792
- Galaxy
- PGC 1816689
- Galaxy
- PGC 44649
- Galaxy
- PGC 1821892
- Galaxy
- PGC 126739
- Galaxy
- PGC 93693
- Galaxy
- PGC 126770
- Galaxy
- PGC 3098096
- Galaxy
- PGC 44546
- Galaxy
- PGC 44897
- Galaxy
- PGC 44666
- Galaxy
- PGC 44693
- Galaxy
- PGC 44595
- Galaxy
- PGC 44863
- Galaxy
- PGC 126861
- Galaxy
- PGC 126853
- Galaxy
- PGC 83699
- Galaxy
- PGC 44367
- Galaxy
- PGC 126850
- Galaxy
- PGC 126845
- Galaxy
- PGC 126842
- Galaxy
- PGC 44390
- Galaxy
- PGC 126840
- Galaxy
- PGC 126839
- Galaxy
- PGC 126831
- Galaxy
- PGC 44440
- Galaxy
- PGC 126826
- Galaxy
- PGC 126824
- Galaxy
- PGC 126823
- Galaxy
- PGC 44469
- Galaxy
- PGC 126821
- Galaxy
- PGC 126818
- Galaxy
- PGC 83725
- Galaxy
- PGC 126816
- Galaxy
- PGC 126814
- Galaxy
- PGC 83727
- Galaxy
- PGC 126812
- Galaxy
- PGC 126807
- Galaxy
- PGC 126805
- Galaxy
- PGC 126804
- Galaxy
- PGC 44542
- Galaxy
- PGC 44552
- Galaxy
- PGC 126799
- Galaxy
- PGC 126796
- Galaxy
- PGC 44585
- Galaxy
- PGC 126794
- Galaxy
- PGC 44596
- Galaxy
- PGC 44593
- Galaxy
- PGC 44608
- Galaxy
- PGC 126790
- Galaxy
- PGC 44611
- Galaxy
- PGC 126789
- Galaxy
- PGC 2816216
- Galaxy
- PGC 83734
- Galaxy
- PGC 126788
- Galaxy
- PGC 44637
- Galaxy
- PGC 44634
- Galaxy
- PGC 44654
- Galaxy
- PGC 126786
- Galaxy
- PGC 126783
- Galaxy
- PGC 126785
- Galaxy
- PGC 126782
- Galaxy
- PGC 126781
- Galaxy
- PGC 126780
- Galaxy
- PGC 126779
- Galaxy
- PGC 126777
- Galaxy
- PGC 83740
- Galaxy
- PGC 44679
- Galaxy
- PGC 126776
- Galaxy
- PGC 126771
- Galaxy
- PGC 126769
- Galaxy
- PGC 44709
- Galaxy
- PGC 126765
- Galaxy
- PGC 126764
- Galaxy
- PGC 44723
- Galaxy
- PGC 126763
- Galaxy
- PGC 126761
- Galaxy
- PGC 126759
- Galaxy
- PGC 126758
- Galaxy
- PGC 126754
- Galaxy
- PGC 44773
- Galaxy
- PGC 126753
- Galaxy
- PGC 126750
- Galaxy
- PGC 44835
- Galaxy
- PGC 126749
- Galaxy
- PGC 126747
- Galaxy
- PGC 126746
- Galaxy
- PGC 126743
- Galaxy
- PGC 126741
- Galaxy
- PGC 126737
- Galaxy
- PGC 126736
- Galaxy
- PGC 126732
- Galaxy
- PGC 126731
- Galaxy
About the labels and credits
Positions and outlines are calculated from a plate solution of this photograph. Outlines are catalogue guides and may not follow every visible filament. Additional catalogue objects may be faint or indistinct in this exposure.
Plate solving and annotation data: SkySolver, by Dominik Sito. Stars: Gaia DR3 and Hipparcos (ESA). Deep-sky data: OpenNGC © Mattia Verga (CC BY-SA 4.0), SIMBAD and VizieR (CDS). Names: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) and IAU WGSN. Catalogue overlay adaptations, including styling and selected display names, are shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph © Lee Pullen.
Additional galaxy positions: PGC2003 / HYPERLEDA (Paturel et al. 2003), via VizieR, CDS Strasbourg. PGC aliases are matched using OpenNGC. Catalogue positions do not confirm that every galaxy is visible in this exposure or belongs to the Coma Cluster.
Science
The Coma Cluster contains more than 1000 galaxies, and I can identify 275 of these in my image. Not bad from the centre of a city!
There’s some interesting history to the Coma Cluster. Back in 1933, it was observed that the galaxies were moving faster than could be accounted for by their mutual force of gravity alone. It was suggested that mysterious “dark matter” — something that couldn’t be directly seen, but its effects observed — may be responsible. Nowadays we think that around 90% of the Coma Cluster’s mass is dark matter.
You can find these galaxies in Explore the field:
NGC 4907 is a barred spiral galaxy. You can definitely see its shape in the picture.
NGC 4895 is a lenticular galaxy, meaning it’s a large disc but with no spiral arms.
NGC 4848 was stripped of most of its gas as it passed through the Coma Cluster.
NGC 4921 is one of the few spiral galaxies in this region. It has unusually low rates of star formation.
NGC 4889 is a supergiant elliptical galaxy with a supermassive black hole at the centre. Gas and dust falling in are generating heat through friction.
NGC 4911 is a spiral galaxy that’s being warped out of shape due to the gravity of other nearby galaxies.
NGC 4874 is a supergiant elliptical galaxy surrounded by a giant halo of stars up to a million light-years across.
And as for the two large circular objects… well they’re stars much closer than the galaxies, just coincidentally along our line of sight.
Kit list
This is the equipment I used to capture the image.
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Telescope: Askar 130PHQ
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Camera: ZWO ASI 2600MC Pro
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Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro
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Guidescope: William Optics 50mm with ROTO Lock
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Guidecam: ZWO ASI 120MM Mini
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Control: ASIAIR Plus
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Filter: Optolong L-Quad Enhance
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Processing walkthrough
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Example source data
Here are example single subframes and freshly integrated stacks, just with simple stretches applied.
Seestar S50 image
Here’s a Seestar S50 telescope image of the Coma Cluster, taken from my Bortle 8 city centre location. An hour of data is enough to just about show the brighter galaxies.
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You’ve mislabeled NGC4889 and NGC4874. Wow
Thanks for spotting that, should be fixed now!