Messier 87
A giant elliptical galaxy whose central black hole was the first ever photographed.
First image of a black hole
Image: EHT Collaboration · CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
M87 is one of the largest galaxies near us. At its heart sits a black hole of 6.5 billion solar masses that shoots a jet of particles thousands of light-years into space.
Key facts
- Type
- Giant elliptical galaxy
- Distance
- About 55 million light-years
- Constellation
- Virgo