Black Hole in Galaxy M87 Emits Jet of High-Speed Electrons

stsci_1999-43c October 27th, 1999

Credit: NASA and John Biretta (STScI/JHU)

A visible light image of the giant elliptical galaxy M87, taken with NASA Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 in February 1998, reveals a brilliant jet of high-speed electrons emitted from the nucleus (diagonal line across image). The jet is produced by a 3-billion-solar-mass black hole.

Provider: Space Telescope Science Institute

Image Source: https://hubblesite.org/contents/news-releases/1999/news-1999-43

Curator: STScI, Baltimore, MD, USA

Image Use Policy: http://hubblesite.org/copyright/

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Image Details

Image Type: Observation
Object Name: M87 • NGC 4486
Subject - Local Universe: Galaxy > Type > Elliptical; Galaxy > Activity > AGN; Nebula > Type > Jet

Distance

50,000,000 light years

Position Details

Position (ICRS): RA = 12h 30m 48.6s; DEC = 12° 23’ 31.0”
Orientation: North is 0.1° CW
Field of View: 0.4 x 0.2 arcminutes
Constellation: Virgo

Color Mapping

Telescope	Spectral Band	Wavelength
Hubble (WFPC2)	Ultraviolet (U)	300.0 nm
Hubble (WFPC2)	Optical (B)	450.0 nm
Hubble (WFPC2)	Optical (V)	606.0 nm
Hubble (WFPC2)	Infrared (I)	814.0 nm

ID: 1999-43c
Subject Category: C.5.1.4 C.5.3.2 C.4.1.5
Subject Name: M87, NGC 4486
Credits: NASA and John Biretta (STScI/JHU)

Release Date: 1999-10-27T00:00:00
Lightyears: 50,000,000
Redshift: 50,000,000
Reference Url: https://hubblesite.org/contents/news-releases/1999/news-1999-43

Type: Observation
Image Quality: Good
Distance Notes: Distance in lightyears

Facility: Hubble, Hubble, Hubble, Hubble
Instrument: WFPC2, WFPC2, WFPC2, WFPC2
Color Assignment: Magenta, Blue, Green, Red

Band: Ultraviolet, Optical, Optical, Infrared
Bandpass: U, B, V, I
Central Wavelength: 300, 450, 606, 814

Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes

Coordinate Frame: ICRS
Equinox: 2000.0
Reference Value: 187.70244020361, 12.39194282361
Reference Dimension: 521.00, 281.00

Reference Pixel: 318.57837745985, 128.33760958710
Scale: -0.00001269689, 0.00001269689
Rotation: -0.06043962425
Coordinate System Projection:: TAN

Quality: Full
FITS Header
Notes: World Coordinate System resolved using PinpointWCS 0.9.2 revision 218+ by the Chandra X-ray Center FITS X FITS Y EPO X EPO Y 489.00 476.00 307.00 128.00 409.00 437.00 219.00 86.00 518.00 404.00 339.00 49.00 282.18 508.66 79.35 165.43 Center Pixel Coordinates: 260.50 187.70319080925 140.50 12.39211548617

Creator (Curator): STScI
URL: http://hubblesite.org
Name: Space Telescope Science Institute Office of Public Outreach
Email: outreach@stsci.edu

Telephone: 410-338-4444
Address: 3700 San Martin Drive
City: Baltimore
State/Province: MD

Postal Code: 21218
Country: USA
Rights: http://hubblesite.org/copyright/

Publisher: STScI
Publisher ID: stsci
Resource ID: STSCI-H-p9943c-f-521x281.tif

Resource URL: https://mast.stsci.edu/api/latest/Download/file?uri=mast:OPO/product/STSCI-H-p9943c-f-521x281.tif
Related Resources: http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/1999/43, http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2000/20

Metadata Date: 2022-07-06T00:00:00
Metadata Version: 1.2

Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

50,000,000 light years