Alternate Names

NGC 4486, Virgo A

Type

Supermassive

Location

in the constellation Virgo

Finder Chart

Distance

50 million light-years (16.1 megaparsecs)

Mass

6.6 billion times the mass of the Sun

Size

Three times the diameter of Pluto's orbit around the Sun

Discovery Methods

• Measuring the motions of gas
• Measuring the motions of stars

1

A combination of radio (red) and X-ray (blue) wavelengths shows the "jets" of charged particles shooting away from the black hole at the center of M87. [NASA/CXC/KIPAC/N. Werner, E. Million et al/NRAO/AUI/NSF/F. Owen]

This document was last modified: March 2, 2011.