室女座星系团

2020年10月10日

Virgo Cluster Galaxies
Image Credit & Copyright: Fernando Pena

Explanation: Galaxies of the Virgo Cluster are scattered across this deep telescopic field of view. The cosmic scene spans about three Full Moons, captured in dark skies near Jalisco, Mexico, planet Earth. About 50 million light-years distant, the Virgo Cluster is the closest large galaxy cluster to our own local galaxy group. Prominent here are Virgo’s bright elliptical galaxies from the Messier catalog, M87 at the top left, and M84 and M86 seen (bottom to top) below and right of center. M84 and M86 are recognized as part of Markarian’s Chain, a visually striking line-up of galaxies vertically on the right side of this frame. Near the middle of the chain lies an intriguing interacting pair of galaxies, NGC 4438 and NGC 4435, known to some as Markarian’s Eyes. Of course giant elliptical galaxy M87 dominates the Virgo cluster. It’s the home of a super massive black hole, the first black hole ever imaged by planet Earth’s Event Horizon Telescope.

Tomorrow’s picture: pinnacles of sky

室女座星系团
影像提供与版权: Fernando Pena

说明: 在这幅深空望远镜影像里，室女星系团的成员星系散布在视野各处。这片约3个满月宽的宇宙视野，摄于地球．墨西哥．哈利斯科州郊野的幽暗星空下。距离约5千万光年远的室女星系团，是离我们的本星系群最近的大星系团。在室女星系团最明亮的椭圆星系之中，出现在视野的有左上角的M87（梅西叶星表编录号），而其右下方，由下自上有M84与M86。 M84和M86都是从影像右缘之外，向上伸展的吸睛马卡莱恩星系链的一部分。在马卡莱恩星系链中段的互扰星系对NGC 4438和NGC 4435，则拥有马卡莱恩之眼的令名。位在室女星系团最具主宰性的庞大椭圆星系M87中心之超大质黑洞，是地面事件视界望远拍摄的第一个黑洞。

明日的图片: pinnacles of sky