Abell 2151

Abell 2151, also known as the Hercules Cluster, is a massive gathering of galaxies roughly 500 million light-years away in the constellation Hercules. Here are some of its key features:

Dense and Populous: Abell 2151 is estimated to contain around 200 galaxies, spread across a region roughly 6 million light-years in diameter.

Spiral Galaxy Rich: Unlike many galaxy clusters, which tend to be dominated by elliptical galaxies, Abell 2151 has a surprising number of spiral galaxies.

A Galaxy Zoo: This cluster is known for its many interacting galaxies, where galaxies have gotten close enough to gravitationally tug on each other, distorting their shapes. Some of these interactions are so dramatic that several galaxies from Abell 2151 are included in the Arp Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies.

Part of a Larger Structure: Abell 2151 is part of the Hercules Supercluster, which itself is a component of the even larger Great Wall, a vast filament of galaxies stretching hundreds of millions of light-years.

If you have access to a large telescope and a dark observing location, Abell 2151 can be a fascinating target for observation.

7.33 hours total integration, LRGB data from Telescope Live

Planewave CDK-24 telescope

QHY600m camera

Location: Río Hurtado, Coquimbo Region, Chile