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> Elliptical galaxy M87 in Virgo
Elliptical galaxy M87 in Virgo
author: Anglo-Australian Observatory/David Malin Images/Novapix
reference: a-gax44-86007
Image Size 300 DPI: 40 * 51 cm
Messier 87 (NGC 4486) is at the heart of the Virgo cluster and has a mass many times that of the Milky Way, itself no lightweight. Unlike our galaxy however, M87 is an elliptical galaxy. Though it appears more-or-less spherical on this photograph, a deep image shows it to be markedly elongated. Also unlike the Milky Way, M87 contains relatively little gas and dust. It is composed mainly of cool stars, which gives it a yellowish colour, in contrast to the blue of spiral galaxies. Despite the lack of star-forming materials, M87 is not a quiescent backwater. It is a powerful source of radio waves and the orbits of stars near its nucleus suggest they are held by a very massive, extremely compact core. Also, from the nucleus (but not seen here) extends a curious jet, all of which suggests that a massive black hole is hidden in the bright core of the galaxy.
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