IDCS J1426 (IDCS J1426.5+3508)

Category:  Galaxy Cluster
Location:  Constellation Boötes
Coordinates:  14 26 28.8 +35 07 48
Accepted distance: 10,000,000,000 ly
Image scale:  1.9 arcmin (~3 Mly)

Image credits:  X-ray: NASA/CXC/University of Missouri-Kansas City/M.Brodwin et al; Optical: NASA/STScI; Infrared: JPL/CalTech

Observation wavelengths and instruments

Optical (green) – Hubble Space Telescope
Infrared (red) – Spitzer Space Telescope
X-rays (blue) – Chandra X-ray Observatory

Key misinterpreted observations

  • This enormous structure was already formed when the Universe was only 3.8 billion years old
  • X-rays confirm that about 90% of the cluster’s mass is dark matter
  • Light lensing effects are due to gravitational forces

Click here to learn about an alternative interpretation of the observations.

IDCS J1426 (IDCS J1426.5+3508)Shannon Sims