M87 - Definition and Overview

The jet emitted by M87 in this image is thought to be caused by a supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center.

Observation data
Type	E1
Right ascension (RA, α)	12 h 30.8 m (J2000,00)
Declination (Dec, δ)	+12° 24' (J2000,00)
Distance from Earth	60 millions LY (18.4 Mpc)
Apparent magnitude (V)	+8.6m
Apparent dimension(s) (V)	7.0'
Physical characteristics
Mass (Sun=1)	> 1.0 × 1012
Diameter	120,000 light years
Absolute magnitude	-22m
Peculiarities	-Radio emission -jet from galaxy core -huge (13,000) globular cluster system
Other denominations	NGC 4486 Virgo A radio source Arp 152

Elliptical Galaxy M87 (also known as the Virgo A Galaxy, Virgo A, Messier Object 87, Messier 87, M87, or NGC 4486) is a giant elliptical galaxy dominating the Virgo cluster. It is one of the biggest known galaxies. Its relative closeness makes it a preferred target for studying the high-energy activities currently going on in its nucleus, suspected of holding a supermassive black hole. Astronomers believe that the black hole in this galaxy is approximately of 3×10⁹ solar masses.

Related topics

• New General Catalogue
• Wikipedia Project: Astronomical Objects

External link

• Messier 87 (http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m087.html), SEDS Messier pages