Is it really Coma? perhaps Comma? What would a coma cluster be–a sort of Bermuda Triangle of Outer Space?
Susan
Who names galaxies, clusters, and the like? (BTW, Denny, it’s a fantastic photo)
Susan
coma: A spherical cloud of material surrounding the head of a comet. This material is mostly gas that the Sun has caused to boil off the comet’s icy nucleus. This gas shines both by reflected sunlight and light emitted by excited molecules. A cometary coma can extend up to a million miles from the nucleus.
There was one that tried to extend a bit further once, but its comet smacked it down.
Isn’t there a star cluster in Coma Berenices, too, or is that just an asterism?
Isn’t this Coma just an abbreviation of Coma Berenices (Hair of Berenices)?
http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Coma_Berenices.html
It is known that there is an innumerable amount of Galaxies.
Silvano