Use the Starry Night Enthusiast \({ }^{\text {TM }}\) program to examine clusters of galaxies. Select Favourites \(>\) Deep Space \(>\) Virgo Cluster to center this collection of galaxies in the view, as seen from a distance of about 53 Mly from the Sun. You are looking at a three-dimensional view of the Tully Database. Open the Find pane and locate Virgo \(\mathbf{A}\), one of the galaxies examined in the previous question, which is close to the center of this cluster of galaxies. Right-click on this galaxy to open the contextual menu (Macintosh users Ctrl-click on this galaxy) and click on Highlight "GA Virgo Cluster" Filament to highlight this cluster in yellow. Click on the "up" arrow in the Viewing Location to move to about 30 Mly from the Sun. Hold down the Shift key while holding down the mouse button and move the mouse to use the location scroller to rotate this rich group of galaxies. (a) Describe the general shape of the Virgo cluster. (b) As you rotate the Virgo cluster, you should notice other groupings of galaxies. Stop this rotation at some position and make a sketch of the screen, circling what you believe are other groups on your sketch. Right-click (Macintosh users Ctrl-click) on one of the other clusters (and clouds and extensions) near to the Virgo Cluster to open the contextual menu and use the Highlight option to see how astronomers have grouped these other galaxies. Repeat this process until you have identified all of the clusters around Virgo. Outline and label these clusters on your drawing. (c) Choose three of these clusters, center on each in turn and right- click (Ctrlclick on a Macintosh) to open the contextual menu and use the Centre command. Use the Zoom facility and location scroller to move around these collections of galaxies, and describe their distribution compared to the Virgo cluster. For example, what are their shapes and relative sizes compared to Virgo and to each other? Are they rich spherical concentrations or walls of galaxies?

Step by step solution

01

Navigating the Starry Night Enthusiast Program

First, open up the Starry Night Enthusiast Program and navigate to Favourites > Deep Space > Virgo Cluster. This will center the Virgo Cluster in the view. Next, open the Find pane and locate Virgo A, close to the center of this cluster. Right-click (or Ctrl-click for Mac users) on this galaxy to open the contextual menu, and click on 'Highlight GA Virgo Cluster' Filament to highlight this cluster in yellow.

02

Examining the Virgo Cluster

Click on the 'up' arrow in the Viewing Location to move to about 30 Mly from the Sun. Then, hold down the Shift key while also holding down the mouse button, and move the mouse to use the location scroller to rotate the view of cluster. Observe the general shape and structure of the Virgo Cluster and describe it.

03

Identifying Other Clusters

As the Virgo Cluster is rotated, there will be times when other groupings of galaxies come into view. Stop the rotation and make a sketch of the screen, circling these other groups. Then, right-click to open the contextual menu and use the Highlight option. This will show how astronomers have grouped these other galaxies. Repeat this process until all the clusters around Virgo are identified.

04

Comparing Other Clusters to Virgo

Choose three of these clusters, center on each in turn and right-click to open the contextual menu. Use the Centre command, then the Zoom facility and location scroller to move around these galaxies. Observe and describe the distribution of these clusters compared to the Virgo Cluster, noting their shapes and relative sizes. For example, are they rich spherical concentrations or walls of galaxies?

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