Messier 87

Messier 87

Messier 87, also called Virgo A or NGC 4486, is a very big galaxy in the constellation Virgo. It is one of the largest galaxies close to us. Unlike spiral galaxies, which have arms like our own Milky Way, Messier 87 has a smooth, round shape.

The French astronomer Charles Messier found Messier 87 in 1781. It is about 53 million light-years from Earth and is the second-brightest galaxy in the Virgo Cluster. Messier 87 has many globular clusters—about 15,000—orbiting around it. This is far more than the 150–200 around our own galaxy.

At the center of Messier 87 is a supermassive black hole. In 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope showed the first picture of this black hole. This helped scientists learn more about black holes and how they affect galaxies.

Messier 87 gives off strong radio waves and other radiation. It has a jet of energetic material stretching far from its center. Astronomers, both amateur and professional, often study this galaxy to learn more about space. Messier 87 is found at the center of the Virgo Cluster, a group of about 2,000 galaxies. This cluster is part of a much bigger structure called the Virgo Supercluster, which includes our own Local Group and the Milky Way.