Themes > Science > Astronomy > The Galaxies > Groups, Clusters, and Superclusters of Galaxies > Astronomy Picture of the Day


April 4, 1999
 
Hot Gas and Dark Matter

Credit: Richard Mushotzky (GSFC/NASA), ROSAT, ESA, NASA

Explanation: Is the gravity of the galaxies seen in this image high enough to contain the glowing hot gas? Superposed on an optical picture of a group of galaxies is an image taken in X-ray light. This picture, taken by ROSAT, shows confined hot gas highlighted in false red color, and provides clear evidence that the gravity exerted in groups and clusters of galaxies exceeds all the individual component galaxies combined. The extra gravity is attributed to dark matter, the nature and abundance of which is one of the biggest mysteries in astronomy today.


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