Abell 2261 is one of 25 galaxy clusters being studied as part of the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) program, a major project to build a library of scientific data on lensing clusters.[1]
| Abell 2261 | |
|---|---|
Abell 2261 | |
| Observation data (Epoch 2000) | |
| Right ascension | 17h 22m |
| Declination | +32° 08′ |
| Redshift | 0.224 |
| Distance (co-moving) | 909 Mpc (3 Gly) h−1 0.70 |
| ICM temperature | 7.6 ± 0.30 keV |
| Binding mass | 2.9 ± 0.5×1014 h−1 0.70 M☉ |
| X-ray luminosity | 18.0 ± 0.2 ×1044 erg s−1 (bolometric) |
| See also: Galaxy group, Galaxy cluster, List of galaxy groups and clusters | |
It also has the galaxy A2261-BCG (short for Abell 2261 Brightest Cluster Galaxy) which has the one of the largest galaxy cores ever observed.[2]
In January 2021, astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope were reported to be unable to locate a supermassive black hole presumed to be at the center of the galaxy.[3] A newer and larger space telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, launched in December 2021, may help determine the object's whereabouts, according to the astronomers.[3]