About

It is one of the brightest and nearest radio galaxies and is famous for its strong jet of high-energy particles emanating from its core. M87 is also home to a supermassive black hole at its center, which is one of the largest ever discovered, with a mass exceeding 6 billion times that of the Sun. With a diameter of about 120,000 light-years, it is one of the largest galaxies in the known universe. The galaxy was cataloged as the 87th object in Charles Messier's catalog of celestial objects back in 1781. Due to its remarkable features and proximity, M87 has been extensively studied and observed by astronomers using various telescopes and instruments across multiple wavelengths. Its massive black hole and jet have provided valuable insights into the study of active galactic nuclei and high-energy astrophysics. The first-ever direct image of the shadow of a black hole, which was captured by the Event Horizon Telescope in April 2019, depicted M87's supermassive black hole at its center. This groundbreaking observation further elevated the significance of Messier 87 as a key object for understanding the nature of black holes and the behavior of matter in extreme environments.