- B30 minutes (6 frames)
- G25 minutes (5 frames)
- R40 minutes (8 frames)
- L40 minutes (8 frames)
The supergiant elliptical galaxy M87, located in the constellation Virgo at a distance of about 54 million light-years from Earth, is one of the largest and most massive galaxies in the local universe. Its mass is two to three times greater than that of the Milky Way.
M87 is known for its supermassive black hole at its center, which powers an intense quasar, one of the most powerful energy sources in the cosmos. The galaxy also features powerful jets of gas and dust that extend for hundreds of thousands of light-years from its center, making M87 an important object for studying the dynamics of supermassive black holes and the formation of energetic jets.
Astronomers use M87 to study processes occurring in giant elliptical galaxies, including the evolution of quasars. The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) captured the first image of a black hole event horizon in 2019, a landmark discovery that greatly expanded our knowledge of black holes and their role in galaxy evolution.
History of Observations
The galaxy M87 was first observed by the French astronomer Charles Messier in 1781 and cataloged as a nebula. It was later included in the New General Catalog (NGC 4486). In the following years, astronomers such as Edwin Hubble and Heber Curtis made additional observations that revealed features of this galaxy, including the absence of a spiral structure and the presence of a straight radial jet emanating from the center of the galaxy.
In 1922, Edwin Hubble classified M87 as an extragalactic nebula, and in 1931 identified it as a member of the Virgo Cluster, approximating its distance to 1.8 million parsecs. In 1947, radio emission associated with M87 was detected, and was later shown to be caused by a linear relativistic jet emanating from the center of the galaxy.
| Photo | Date | Frames | Exposure | N |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 18 Mar 2018 | 80 | 00:40 | 00:40 |
Visibility chart of Supergiant elliptical galaxy (M 87) during the day
| Date | Moon Phase | Exposure | CCD Temperature | Gain | Offset | Filter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
- 2023ixf•
- 40 Eri•
- Abell 74•
- Artemis A868 SA•
- a Canis Minoris•
- C 2020 R4 ATLAS•
- C 2020 T2 Palomar•
- C 2021 S3 (PANSTARRS)•
- Haumea (2003 EL61)•
- HCG 68•
- HCG 92•
- IC 1318B•
- IC 1396•
- IC 1795•
- IC 1805•
- IC 1848•
- IC 1871•
- IC 3322A•
- IC 342•
- IC 4015•
- IC 405•
- IC 417•
- IC 434•
- IC 443•
- IC 4703•
- IC 5070•
- IC 5146•
- IC 63•
- M 1•
- M 101•
- M 103•
- M 109•
- M 13•
- M 15•
- M 27•
- M 3•
- M 33•
- M 42•
- M 45•
- M 5•
- M 51•
- M 57•
- M 63•
- M 64•
- M 74•
- M 76•
- M 81•
- M 82•
- M 86•
- M 87•
- M 94•
- M 97•
- NGC 147•
- NGC 1491•
- NGC 1499•
- NGC 1579•
- NGC 1961•
- NGC 2146•
- NGC 2239•
- NGC 2403•
- NGC 281•
- NGC 4236•
- NGC 4565•
- NGC 4631•
- NGC 507•
- NGC 508•
- NGC 5866•
- NGC 5907•
- NGC 6503•
- NGC 6823•
- NGC 6888•
- NGC 6946•
- NGC 6992•
- NGC 6995•
- NGC 7000•
- NGC 7023•
- NGC 7129•
- NGC 7217•
- NGC 7331•
- NGC 7380•
- NGC 7538•
- NGC 7635•
- NGC 7640•
- NGC 7822•
- NGC 891•
- NGC 896•
- NGC 925•
- PGC 54559•
- Sh2-155•
- Sh2-168•
- Sh2 103•
- Sh2 109•
- Sh2 132•
- T CrB•
- UGC 6930•
- V1405 Cas•
- Vesta A807 FA•