Giant elliptical galaxy, HST image
Giant elliptical galaxy ESO 306-17, Hubble Space Telescope (HST) image. This is a fossil group galaxy, the result of a cluster of galaxies merging. It is located in the constellation Columba, approximately half a billion light years from Earth. The other galaxies seen here are nearer or further than ESO 306-17, which lies in a large area containing mostly dark matter and hot gas. Image obtained by the Advanced Camera for Surveys.
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