Crater Cloud
| Crater Cloud | |
|---|---|
The Antennae Galaxies, which are the brightest members of the NGC 4038 Group, the largest group in the Crater Cloud. | |
| Observation data (Epoch ) | |
| Parent structure | Virgo Supercluster |
| Major axis | 7.9 Mpc (26 Mly) |
| Distance | 23.31 Mpc (76 Mly) |
The Crater Cloud is a galaxy filament consisting of at least 11 galaxy groups. It is located approximately 23.31 Mpc (76 Mly) from the Solar System. The Crater Cloud lies about 7 Mpc (23 Mly) below the Virgo Southern Extension.
The Crater Cloud, along with the Leo Cloud, is actually part of the same branch of a larger galaxy filament that extends from the Centaurus Cluster through the Virgo Cluster and continues through the Ursa Major Cluster, known as the Virgo Strand. The Virgo Strand is the main component of the Virgo Supercluster and is made of two branches with the lower branch consisting of the Leo and Crater clouds, while the upper branch is known as the Virgo Southern Extension or Virgo II Groups.
The Crater Cloud is prolate and points toward the Virgo Cluster.