| Object Data |
| Description |
M87 is the largest nearby galaxy, and it serves as
an anchor for the entire Coma-Virgo super cluster. Its mass is estimated at
2.7 trillion suns. Very deep photographic plates show its diameter
to exceed a half a million light years. It has an active nucleus with a
large accreting black hole which is ejecting a long collimated jet of
relativistic particles. |
| Constellation |
Virgo the Virgin |
| Right Ascension |
12h 30m 59s |
| Declination |
+12° 22' 19" |
| Magnitude |
9.6 |
| Angular size |
8.7 arcminutes |
| Distance |
16.8 megaparsecs (54 million light years) |
| Radial Velocity |
1,282 kilometers per second |
| Image Data |
| Photographer |
Fred Lehman |
| Main Scope |
Meade 12" LX200 @ f/3.3 (1015mm) |
| Guide Scope |
Orion 120mm refractor @ f/3.75 |
| Guide Camera |
SBIG STV |
| Imaging Camera |
Starlight Xpress MX7C |
| Resolution |
752 x 580 @ 1.8 arcseconds per pixel |
| Exposure |
Six exposures of two minutes each. Aligned, stacked,
and processed with AstroArt. |
| Date |
March 7, 2003 |
| Location |
Area 51 in Big Cypress National Preserve in
central South Florida. |
