HVGC-1

Coordinates: 12h 30m 54.6978s, +12° 40′ 58.61″

HVGC-1 [1]
Observation data (J2000.0 [1] epoch)
Constellation Virgo
Right ascension 12h 30m 54.70s [1]
Declination +12° 50′ 58.61″ [1]
Distance 54 Mly (16.5 Mpc [1])
Physical characteristics
Metallicity  = −0.9±0.3 [1] dex
Other designations HVGC-1,[1] H70848,[1] M87 H70848[1]

HVGC-1 is the first discovered hypervelocity globular cluster.[2] Discovered in 2014, it was found escaping the supergiant elliptical galaxy Messier 87,[3] in the Virgo Cluster.[1] It is one of thousands of globular clusters found in M87.[4] It is the first hypervelocity star cluster so far discovered.[5] The globular is located at decimal degrees (RA,DEC) (187.72791°,+12.68295°).[1]

Properties

The object was observed to have an outlier velocity, ending with a determined radial velocity of −1026±13 km/s. In relation to M87, its velocity was determined to be 2100–2300 km/s. The cluster's velocity is so high that it will escape the Virgo Cluster as well.[1]

The cluster's velocity is thought to originate by being ejected by the theorized twin supermassive black holes at the center of M87, when the black holes stripped the outer layers of HVGC-1 off, they also ejected the remaining core with greater than escape velocity.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Nelson Caldwell (CfA), Jay Strader (Michigan St), Aaron J. Romanowsky (San Jose St/Santa Cruz), Jean P. Brodie (Santa Cruz), Ben Moore (Zurich), Jurg Diemand (Zurich), Davide Martizzi (Berkeley) (25 February 2014). "A Globular Cluster Toward M87 with a Radial Velocity < -1000 km/s: The First Hypervelocity Cluster". arXiv:1402.6319Freely accessible. Bibcode:2014ApJ...787L..11C. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/787/1/L11.
  2. 1 2 "Entire Star Cluster Thrown Out of its Galaxy". CfA - Havard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. 30 April 2014.
  3. ↑ Klaus Schmidt (30 April 2014). "Entire Star Cluster Thrown Out of its Galaxy". Space Fellowship.
  4. ↑ "Star cluster thrown out of galaxy at speed of more than 2 million mph". Fox News. 30 April 2014.
  5. ↑ Shannon Hill (30 April 2014). "'Runaway' Star Cluster Breaks Free from Distant Galaxy". Universe Today.
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