室女座星系团

2023年5月26日

Virgo Cluster Galaxies
Image Credit & Copyright: Abdullah Alharbi

Explanation: Galaxies of the Virgo Cluster are scattered across this nearly 4 degree wide telescopic field of view. 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 Messier catalog, M87 at bottom center, and M84 and M86 (top to bottom) near top left. M84 and M86 are recognized as part of Markarian’s Chain, a visually striking line-up of galaxies on the left 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: Crescent Neptune and Triton

室女座星系团
影像提供与版权: Abdullah Alharbi

说明: 在这幅宽将近4度的望远镜影像里，室女星系团的成员星系散布在视野各处。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，出现在视野里的有中下方的M87，以及左上角（从上至下）的M84与M86。M84和M86都是影像左方的吸睛马卡莱恩星系链之一部分。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。此外，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镜进行成像的第一个黑洞。

明日的图片: Crescent Neptune and Triton