M87
Elliptical Galaxy in Virgo
M87 appears here as the round, somewhat blurry object left of center. If you look closely at it you will notice what appears to be a very short appendage from M87 pointing towards the upper right. This appendage is usually referred to as M87's "jet", and is probably caused by a massive black hole. Click here for an image of this jet from the Hubble Space Telescope, along with a more complete explanation. Click here for a labeled version of this image showing three other galaxies in this image, and an enlargement of M87 itself.
Exposure Data: Fuji Provia 400F exposed for 90 minutes @ f/11
Telescope: 12" SCT on a Losmandy G11 mount
Guiding: Autoguided by an SBIG ST-4 with a Lumicon GEG
Location and Date: Myles Standish State Forest, Plymouth, MA on 3-20-01