M87, Elliptical Galaxy in the Virgo Cluser
The elliptical galaxy Messier 87 (M87, NGC 4486), also called Virgo A, may be the dominant galaxy in
the Virgo Cluster of galaxies. It lies about 60 million light-years from Earth. M87 was discovered by
Charles Messier in 1781.
The main elliptical shape of M87 is about 120,000 light years in diameter, but its outer layers may reach
out as far as half a million light years. In comparison, our spiral galaxy is about 100,000 light years in
diameter. M87 also fills a much larger volume than our galaxy and thus contains a lot more mass and
many more stars. Some estimates put the mass of M87 at several trillion solar masses.
One of M87’s unusual features is a “jet” of gaseous material being ejected from the galaxy, probably by
a supermassive black hole in its center. It extends thousands of light years from the core of the galaxy.
If you look closely, the jet can be seen in the image below at about 10 o’clock. A closer view of the
galaxy, also shown below, shows the jet more clearly. However, to fully appreciate the “jet” see the
Hubble image, also shown below.
Studies of M87 have shown that its black hole has a mass of about 2-3 billion solar masses and is
concentrated within a sphere with a radius of about 60 light years. This object is surrounded by a rapidly
rotating gaseous accretion disk.
the Virgo Cluster of galaxies. It lies about 60 million light-years from Earth. M87 was discovered by
Charles Messier in 1781.
The main elliptical shape of M87 is about 120,000 light years in diameter, but its outer layers may reach
out as far as half a million light years. In comparison, our spiral galaxy is about 100,000 light years in
diameter. M87 also fills a much larger volume than our galaxy and thus contains a lot more mass and
many more stars. Some estimates put the mass of M87 at several trillion solar masses.
One of M87’s unusual features is a “jet” of gaseous material being ejected from the galaxy, probably by
a supermassive black hole in its center. It extends thousands of light years from the core of the galaxy.
If you look closely, the jet can be seen in the image below at about 10 o’clock. A closer view of the
galaxy, also shown below, shows the jet more clearly. However, to fully appreciate the “jet” see the
Hubble image, also shown below.
Studies of M87 have shown that its black hole has a mass of about 2-3 billion solar masses and is
concentrated within a sphere with a radius of about 60 light years. This object is surrounded by a rapidly
rotating gaseous accretion disk.
| M87, C9.25 f/4.9, ST10XME with AO8 guiding, 10 x 5 min + 5 x 10 min exposures |
| Close up showing M87 jet at 10 o'clock |
| Hubble image of the M87 jet. See also: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap011101.html |
