Fornax Cluster

The Fornax Cluster is a cluster of galaxies lying at a distance of 62 million light-years (19 megaparsecs). It is the second richest galaxy cluster within 100 million light-years, after the considerably larger Virgo Cluster. It lies primarily in the constellation Fornax, and may be associated with the nearby Eridanus Group. The Fornax Cluster is a valuable source of information about the evolution of such clusters, showing the effects of a merger of a subgroup with the main group, which in turn lends clues about the associated galactic superstructure. At the centre of the cluster lies NGC 1399. Other cluster members include NGC 1316 (the group's brightest galaxy), NGC 1365, NGC 1427A, and NGC 1404.