M87

M87 = NGC4486 ( 12h 30.8m +12°24´, 8.6 mag. ) This giant elliptical galaxy in Virgo was discovered by Messier on March 18, 1781.

M87 (also known as Virgo A, Messier Object 87, Messier 87 or NGC 4486) is a giant elliptical galaxy dominating the Virgo cluster. Identified as a strong radio source, it is also one of the largest known galaxies.

The core of M87, revealing a black hole nucleus Below is a NASA Hubble Space Telescope image of a spiral-shaped disk of hot gas in the core of active galaxy M87. Hubble measurements show the disk is rotating very rapidly.

M87 Courtesy of The Digitized Sky Survey Elliptical galaxies, such as M87 (left), have very little gas and dust.

M84, M86, and M87: three more ellipticals, in a very rich region. M87 is the centre of the Virgo Cluster, and is one of the most luminous galaxies known. M89: small elliptical, resembling M87 but fainter. M90: nice spiral in same region as M89.

A radio galaxy such as M87 could be found anywhere within z=10 by current techniques. These wavelengths are domanated by nonthermal processes such as synchrotron radiation.

The first elliptical galaxy for which useful dynamical information about its core was obtained was M87, the brightest member of the Virgo galaxy cluster. Because M87 is relatively nearby and very large, its core is easily resolved.

Slee identify NGC 4486 (M87) and NGC 5128 as extragalactic radio sources, 1953 - Gerard de Vaucouleurs discovers that the galaxies within approximately 200 million light years of the Virgo cluster are confined to a giant supercluster disk, ...

The core of the active galaxy M87 is seen to have a disk of hot gas moving very quickly around the center. Doppler shifts of the disk material close to the center show that the gas is moving at speeds of hundreds of kilometers per second.

The constellation Virgo is the site of an elliptical galaxy known as M87. This galaxy is also a member of the famous Virgo cluster of galaxies. It is located about 60 million light years from Earth and has a diameter of around 120,000 light years.

On our way to our next target, the Sombrero Galaxy, we will take a short detour to a trio of round galaxies, M87, M60, and M49. These three galaxies form a triangle about 10 degrees away from the Black Eye galaxy, down towards the southern horizon.

The Virgo cluster is a massive cluster of over 100 galaxies (including M61, M87, M90, and M100) and a lot of very hot, X-ray emitting gas. This cluster is located mostly within the constellation Virgo.

In 1994, astronomers, with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope, found evidence of a supermassive black hole at the center of M87, a galaxy in the constellation Virgo.

The giant elliptical galaxy M87, the biggest member of the cluster, is centered in that area while other cluster members are scattered around it.

M87 (also called NGC 4486), located in the constellation Virgo the Maiden, is a galaxy thought to contain a giant black hole. Astronomers also suspect a massive black hole may lurk at the center of our own Milky Way Galaxy.

A 'jet' of hot gas shoots away from a giant black hole in the core of the galaxy M87. Material in the jet is moving at almost the speed of light. It's accelerated by the black hole's magnetic field.

A strong radio source. Optically, it is an elliptical galaxy (M87) with a luminous blue jet about 1500 pc long. It is also an X-ray source (3C 274, Virgo X-1, 2U 1228+12). Virgo Cluster ...

A Hubble Space Telescope image of a spiral-shaped disk of hot gas in the core of active galaxy M87. The disk is rotating so rapidly it contains a massive black hole at its hub. (Courtesy of NASA) (28K GIF) ...

nrao.edu, How Radio Telescopes Work The Jet of Galaxy M87 Further reading Journals ...

In 1994 astronomers employing the Hubble Space Telescope announced that they had found conclusive evidence of a supermassive black hole in the M87 galaxy in the constellation Virgo.

M60 (elliptical galaxy) M61 (spiral galaxy) M84 (elliptical galaxy) M86 (elliptical galaxy) M87 Virgo A (elliptical galaxy) M89 (elliptical galaxy) M90 (spiral galaxy) M104 The Sombrero Galaxy (spiral galaxy) ...

ELLIPTICAL GALAXY An elliptical galaxy is a galaxy that has the shape of an ellipse. It is also called an "E" or "E-type" galaxy. M87 and M32 are elliptical galaxies.

Absolute magnitudes for stars generally range from âˆ'10 to +17. The absolute magnitude for galaxies can be much lower (brighter). For example, the giant elliptical galaxy M87 has an absolute magnitude of âˆ'22. [edit] Computation ...

Figure: The giant elliptical galaxy M87 at the heart of the Virgo cluster of galaxies.

See also: Galaxy, Galaxies, Light, Cluster, Field