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The M87 is the largest galaxy within the Virgo cluster.It has a diameter of approximately 120,000 light years. The Milky Way Galaxy is a mere 100,000 light years.The Earth for comparison has a diameter of 0.0645 light seconds.
M87 is one of the most prominent galaxies followed by the elliptical galaxy Messier 49.
Messier 87 is an elliptical galaxy.
Messier 87 (M87) is a giant elliptical galaxy located about 53 million light-years away in the Virgo constellation. It has a diameter of approximately 120,000 light-years, making it one of the largest galaxies in the local universe. M87 is notable for its supermassive black hole at its center, which was famously imaged by the Event Horizon Telescope in 2019.
M87 is classified as an elliptical galaxy in the Hubble classification system, denoted as "E0" for its round shape and absence of spiral arms.
At the core of M87 is a supermassive black hole with about 6.4×109 times the mass of the Sun (See related question)
An unusual galaxy with a definite shape is the spiral galaxy M87, which is notable for its prominent jet of energetic particles emitted from its supermassive black hole at the center. Unlike typical spiral galaxies, M87 has a more elliptical appearance due to its older star population and lacks significant spiral arms. This galaxy's unique features, including its size and the presence of the black hole, distinguish it within the realm of galaxies.
In the galaxy m87 at the center of the constellation Virgo, is a super massive blackhole of 3 billion solar masses and a diameter of 11 billion miles.And that is in the known universe.Another's view: There is a blackhole of 18 billion solar masses in the quasar OJ 287 and it is (approximately) 3.5 billion light years away.
The Milky Way galaxy is part of the Local Group, which is a collection of several galaxies. The Local Group, in turn, is a part of the larger Virgo Supercluster.
No, a globular cluster is a group of stars that are part of a galaxy. The Virgo cluster is much bigger. It is a large nearby group of galaxies.
The Solar System contains the Earth-Moon system. The Milky Way galaxy contains the Solar System. The Virgo supercluster contains the Milky Way galaxy. The Universe contains the Virgo supercluster.
M32 - DwarfM49M59M60 (NGC 4649)M87 (NGC 4486) - SupergiantM89M105 (NGC 3379)Maffei 1, the closest giant elliptical galaxy.