Multi-wavelength view of galaxy cluster XLSSC006
Composite view of the galaxy cluster XLSSC006, combining observations in X-rays performed by ESA's XMM-Newton space observatory as part of the XXL survey (shown in purple) with optical and near-infrared data from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope – a three-colour composite of the blue (u) filter, shown in blue, the red (r) filter, shown in green, and a near-infrared (z) filter, shown in red.
This cluster, lying at a redshift of 0.43 and with a mass of ~ 5 × 1014 solar masses, features two dominant galaxies, suggesting that it is undergoing a merging event. The XMM-Newton data show the hot, X-ray emitting gas that pervades the cluster.
The XXL Survey is XMM-Newton's largest observational programme to date. The second batch of data from the survey includes information on 365 galaxy clusters, which trace the large-scale structure of the Universe and its evolution through time, and on 26 000 active galactic nuclei (AGN).