Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Elliptical Galaxy M87
(Redirected from M87)
| Observation data | |
| Type | E1 |
| Right ascension (RA, α) | 12 h 30.8 m (J2000,00) |
| Declination (Dec, δ) | +12° 24' (J2000,00) |
| Distance from Earth | 60 millions LY (18.4 Mpc) |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +8.6m |
| Apparent dimension(s) (V) | 7.0' |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mass (Sun=1) | > 1.0 × 1012 |
| Diameter | 120,000 light years |
| Absolute magnitude | -22m |
| Peculiarities |
-Radio emission |
| Other denominations |
NGC 4486 |
Elliptical Galaxy M87 (also known as the Virgo A Galaxy, Virgo A, Messier Object 87, Messier 87, M87, or NGC 4486) is a giant elliptical galaxy dominating the Virgo cluster. It is one of the biggest known galaxies. Its relative closeness makes it a preferred target for studying the high-energy activities currently going on in its nucleus, suspected of holding a supermassive black hole. Astronomers believe that the black hole in this galaxy is approximately of 3×109 solar masses.
Related topics
External link
- Messier 87, SEDS Messier pages
10-26-2009 08:16:03
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details