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

The Event Horizon Telescope image of the M87 black hole. The black hole's powerful gravity bends the light of stars and gas behind the black hole, forming the bright glow. [Credit: Event Horizon Telescope]

This document was last modified: October 24, 2005.