Jellyfish galaxy

Not to be confused with Jellyfish Nebula.

A jellyfish galaxy is a type of galaxy found in galaxy clusters. They are characterised by ram pressure stripping of gas from the affected galaxy by the intracluster medium, triggering starbursts along a tail of gas.^[1]

Ram pressure stripping of gas from a galaxy in ESO 137-001.

Jellyfish galaxies have been seen in a number of galaxy clusters including the Hydra Cluster, Abell 2125 (redshift z=0.20; ACO 2125 C153);^[2][1] Abell 2667 (z=0.23; G234144−260358);^[2][1] Abell 2744 (z=0.31; ACO 2744 Central Jellyfish;^[3] HLS001427–30234/ACO 2744 F0083;^[2][1][3][4] GLX001426–30241 / ACO 2744 F0237 / ACO 2733 CN104;^[3][4] MIP001417–302303 / ACO 2744 F1228;^[3][4] HLS001428–302334;^[4] GLX001354–302212^[4] ).

Examples

• 
  Jellyfish galaxy JO204 taken by ESO's MUSE instrument.^[5]
• 
  Jellyfish galaxy in SDSS J1110+6459, visible next to the cluster and apparently dripping bright blue material.^[6]
• 
  NASA/ESA Hubble image of galaxy JW100 with streams of star-forming gas dripping from the disc of the galaxy like streaks of fresh paint. These tendrils of bright gas are formed by ram pressure stripping, and their resemblance to dangling tentacles led astronomers to refer it as a ‘jellyfish’ galaxy.