The
largest galaxy in the Virgo cluster acts as a stellar metropolis in this
combined image from the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory, and
Very Large Array radio observatory.
The
optical, radio and X-ray data from the M87 elliptical galaxy comes from 60
million light years away. A massive central black hole creates bright jets
visible in all wavelengths, and a hot, X-ray emitting cloud also extends over
much of the Virgo cluster.
The
X-ray views within this image may provide evidence of recent outbursts from the
central black hole. Loops and bubbles in the X-ray emitting gas might arise
from smaller outbursts. The long, narrow filament extending below and to the
right of M87's center likely represents hot gas channeled by magnetic fields,
and stretches over 100,000 light years.
— NASA/CXC and SPACE.com Staff
Credit: NASA/CXC/CfA/W.
Forman et al./NRAO/AUI/NSF/W. Cotton;/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA),
and R. Gendler
Return each weekday for a new SPACE.com Image of the Day.
| 
