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> Heart of the Virgo cluster of galaxies

Heart of the Virgo cluster of galaxies

author: K.A. Lecky Hepburn/Novapix

reference: a-amg02-00061

Image Size 300 DPI: 21 * 16 cm

M86 and M84 are two giant lenticular galaxies at the heart of the Virgo cluster of galaxies. NGC 4438, a spiral galaxy at the bottom left of the photo, appears to be distorted by an interaction with nearby NGC 4435. Located about 70 million light years away, the Virgo cluster is a gigantic collection of several thousand galaxies that dominate our local part of the universe.

Keywords for this photo:

2009 - ASTRONOMY - ELLIPTICAL GALAXY - GALAXY - GALAXY CLUSTER - LENTICULAR GALAXY - M84 - M86 - NGC 4374 - NGC 4387 - NGC 4388 - NGC 4402 - NGC 4406 - NGC 4413 - NGC 4425 - NGC 4438 - SPIRAL GALAXY - STAR - VIRGO - VIRGO CLUSTER -