The historic first image of a black hole was released by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration on April 10, 2019. An international team of scientists used observations with the Event Horizon Telescope, a worldwide network of eight ground-based radio telescopes, to capture an image of the supermassive black hole at the heart of the supergiant elliptical galaxy Messier 87 (Virgo A).
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The Virgo Cluster is the closest large cluster of galaxies to the Milky Way. With over a thousand known members, the cluster spans an area of the sky about 5 by 3 degrees in size. While some of the most prominent members can be seen in smaller instruments, a 6-inch telescope will reveal about 160 galaxies in this region on a clear night.
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Messier galaxies M84 and M86 are part of Markarian’s Chain, a striking stretch of galaxies that lie along a curved line near the heart of the Virgo Cluster. The string of galaxies – which also includes NGC 4477, NGC 4473, NGC 4461, NGC 4458, NGC 4438 and NGC 4435 – occupies more than a full degree on the border between Virgo and Coma Berenices and can be seen in an 8-inch reflector on a clear, dark night.
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Messier 104 (M104), also known as the Sombrero Galaxy, is a majestic unbarred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Virgo. The galaxy has an apparent magnitude of 8.98 and lies at a distance of 29.3 million light years from Earth. It has the designation NGC 4594 in the New General Catalogue.
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Messier 100 (M100) is a grand design spiral galaxy located in the Virgo Cluster, in the constellation Coma Berenices. The galaxy lies at an approximate distance of 55 million light years from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 10.1. Its designation in the New General Catalogue is NGC 4321.
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Messier 99 (M99), also known as the Coma Pinwheel or Virgo Cluster Pinwheel, is an unbarred spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices. The galaxy is a member of the Virgo Cluster. It has an apparent magnitude of 10.4 and lies at a distance of 55.7 million light years from Earth. Its designation in the New General Catalogue is NGC 4254.
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Messier 98 (M98) is an intermediate spiral galaxy located in the Virgo Cluster, in the constellation Coma Berenices. The galaxy has an apparent magnitude of 11.0 and lies at an approximate distance of 44.4 million light years from Earth. Its designation in the New General Catalogue is NGC 4192.
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