Antlia is classified as a rare Bautz–Morgan type III cluster,[4][3] meaning it has no central dominant (cD) brightest cluster galaxy.[8] However, the cluster is dominated by two massive elliptical galaxies, NGC 3268 and NGC 3258, and contains a total of about 234 galaxies.[4][5] The cluster is very dense compared to other clusters such as Virgo and Fornax, thus containing early-type galaxies and a larger portion of dwarf ellipticals.[5][7][clarification needed] The cluster is split into two galaxy groups, the Northern subgroup gravitating around NGC 3268, and the Southern subgroup centered on NGC 3258.[5]
The cluster has an overall redshift of z = 0.0087, implying that the cluster is, like most objects in the Universe, receding from the Local Group.[4] Using the now-obsolete scientific satellite ASCA, X-ray observations show that the cluster is almost isothermal, with a mean temperature of kT ~ 2.0 keV.[4]
^ abcHopp, U.; Materne, J. (July 1985). "The Antlia cluster of galaxies and its environment - The Hydra I-Centaurus supercluster". Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series. 61: 93–106. Bibcode:1985A&AS...61...93H. ISSN0365-0138.
^ abSmith Castelli, A. V.; Bassino, L. P.; Cellone, S. A.; Richtler, T.; Dirsch, B.; Infante, L.; Aruta, C.; Gómez, M. (December 2005). "Dwarf Galaxies in the Antlia Cluster: First Results". In I. Saviane; V.D. Ivanov; J. Borissova (eds.). Groups of Galaxies in the Nearby Universe. Proceedings of the ESO Workshop. Vol. ESO ASTROPHYSICS SYMPOSIA. Springer-Verlag (2007). p. 109. arXiv:astro-ph/0603391. Bibcode:2007ggnu.conf..109S. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-71173-5_17. ISBN978-3-540-71172-8.