'El Gordo' Galaxy Cluster Found

(EndPlay Staff Reports) - Astronomers have recently made a big, fat discovery.

According to NASA , the largest galaxy cluster ever seen has been spotted by observers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the National Science Foundation-funded Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) in Chile.

Though the discovery has officially been dubbed ACT-CL J0102-4915, the galaxy cluster has been nicknamed "El Gordo, "which is Spanish for "the fat one."

Just how fat is El Gordo? As a galaxy cluster El Gordo is among the largest known objects in the universe, which occur when hundreds or even thousands of galaxies collide. NASA reported this specific galaxy cluster is about two million billion times the mass of the sun. And, according to a report from BBC , scientists at think it's only getting fatter, as El Gordo was "currently undergoing a merger and growing even larger."

Felipe Menanteau, of Rutgers University, led the study that discovered El Gordo. He told NASA that the find is unique.

"This cluster is the most massive, the hottest, and gives off the most X-rays of any known cluster at this distance or beyond," Menanteau said.

According to information from NASA, more information about El Gordo will be announced at the 219th meeting of the American Astronomical Society , held through January 12 in Austin, Texas. A paper describing these results has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal, according to NASA reports.

To view images of El Gordo, check out NASA's Chandra mission page here .