Abell 2667 is a galaxy cluster. It is one of the most luminous galaxy clusters in the X-ray waveband known at a redshift about 0.2 and is a well-known gravitational lens. On 2 March 2007, a team of astronomers reported the detection of the Comet Galaxy in this cluster. This galaxy is being ripped apart by the cluster's gravitational field and harsh environment. The finding sheds light on the mysterious process by which gas-rich spiral-shaped galaxies might evolve into gas-poor irregular or elliptical-shaped galaxies over billions of years. Abell 2667 is similar to many other low-redshift and cool-core galaxy clusters in terms of the cooling processes that happen at its center, which consists of a brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) and a supermassive black hole (SMBH). Abell 2667 acts as an intense gravitational telescope, lensing red-shifted galaxies behind it. Although the warped galaxies may appear to be part of this galaxy cluster, they are in fact significantly more distant.
See also Abell catalogue List of Abell clusters X-ray astronomy
References
External links Hubble Space Telescope Spitzer Space Telescope NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day: Illusion and Evolution in Galaxy Cluster Abell 2667 (5 March 2007) ESA news