Abstract
THE distances and velocities of 400 elliptical galaxies1, out to redshifts equivalent to recession velocities of ∼6,000 kms−1, suggest that the peculiar velocities obtained by subtraction of the general cosmological expansion are best fitted by a flow induced by a 'great attractor'2, a large mass of 5.4 x 1016 M⊙ and centred on galactic longitude l = 307° and latitude b = 9° at a distance Rm =4,350 ±350 kms−1. A redshift survey of ∼900 galaxies3 shows that the excess galaxy number counts in this direction are due to two substantial concentrations of galaxies at recession velocities v ≈ 3,000 kms∼1 and 4,500 kms−1. Here we show that in roughly the same direction there is also a very rich concentration of galaxy clusters which may have a considerable dynamical influence. The estimated redshift distances of these clusters range from 3,000 to 20,000 km s−1, with a main complex at v ≈ 14,000 km s−1. The barycentre of this concentration lies ∼25° away from the cosmic microwave background dipole4, and ∼10° away from the latest reported position of the Great Attractor5,6.
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Scaramella, R., Baiesi-Pillastrini, G., Chincarini, G. et al. A marked concentration of galaxy clusters: is this the origin of large-scale motions?. Nature 338, 562–564 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1038/338562a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/338562a0
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