Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2025 February 20
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                                 Messier 87
           Image Credit: [3]NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team

   Explanation: Enormous elliptical galaxy [4]Messier 87 is about 50
   million light-years away. Also known as NGC 4486, the giant galaxy
   holds trillions of stars compared to the mere billions of stars in our
   large spiral Milky Way. M87 reigns as the large central elliptical
   galaxy in the [5]Virgo galaxy cluster. An energetic jet from the giant
   galaxy's core is seen to stretch outward for about 5,000 light-years in
   this sharp optical and near-infrared [6]view from the Hubble Space
   Telescope. In fact, the cosmic blow torch is seen across the
   electromagnetic spectrum from [7]gamma-rays to radio wavelengths. Its
   [8]ultimate power source is M87's central, supermassive black hole. An
   image of this monster in the middle of M87 has been captured by
   [9]planet Earth's Event Horizon Telescope.

                  Tomorrow's picture: our friendly neighbor
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    Authors & editors: [21]Robert Nemiroff ([22]MTU) & [23]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([24]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [25]Specific rights apply.
              [26]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [27]ASD at [28]NASA / [29]GSFC,
                         [30]NASA Science Activation
                           & [31]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2502/m87-full.jpg
   3. https://hubblesite.org/
   4. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/explore-the-night-sky/hubble-messier-catalog/messier-87/
   5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230526.html
   6. https://hubblesite.org/contents/media/images/2000/20/968-Image
   7. https://eventhorizontelescope.org/blog/m87s-powerful-jet-unleashes-rare-gamma-ray-outburst
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240509.html
   9. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019ApJ...875L...1E/abstract
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250219.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  14. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  19. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250220
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250221.html
  21. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  22. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  23. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  24. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  26. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  27. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  30. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  31. http://www.mtu.edu/