Type

Supermassive

Location

In the constellation Ursa Major

Finder Chart

Distance

50 million light-years (15.6 megaparsecs)

Mass

210 million times the mass of the Sun

Size

Diameter the size of the outer edge of the asteroid belt

Discovery Methods

• Measuring the motions of stars

A ground-based image of NGC 4026 shows that the lens-shaped galaxy is turned edge-on as seen from Earth. The supermassive black hole resides in the fat "bulge" of stars at the middle of the lens. [David W. Hogg/Michael R. Blanton/SDSS Collaboration]

This document was last modified: March 14, 2012.