1E 0657-56 Bullet Galaxy Cluster Collision Sequence

This animation shows an artist's representation of the huge collision in the bullet cluster. Hot gas, containing most of the normal matter in the cluster, is shown in red and dark matter is in blue. During the collision the hot gas in each cluster is slowed and distorted by a drag force, similar to air resistance. A bullet-shaped cloud of gas forms in one of the clusters. In contrast, the dark matter is not slowed by the impact, because it does not interact directly with itself or the gas except through gravity, and separates from the normal matter.
(Credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss)

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Howto & Style

Tags:

• 1E
• 0657-56
• Bullet
• Galaxy
• Cluster
• Collision