SAS Astronomy Picture of the Month [February, 2026]

Abell 426 - Galaxy Cluster in Perseus

Abell 426 (Perseus galaxy cluster  and Perseus A).  Most of the galaxies in the cluster are about 250 million ly distant but the image also includes a few lying a well over 1 billion ly.  Perseus A (bright left of center) is a spiral galaxy 230 million ly away, about the size of the Milky Way. It is a strong radio and X-ray source and appears to be severely distorted by interaction with a passing galaxy in front of it. 

 

C6f10,  ASI 533 camera, Optolong L-Pro filter, 159 min total integration, Processed in PixInsight and Photoshop  Three nights of data collection with poor to fair conditions.

Abell 426 – Perseus A inside a galaxy cluster – by David Murray

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