4/7/04 M87

M87 is an elliptical galaxy in the heart of the Virgo galaxy cluster. It is very unique in that it has a huge jet of material coming out of it. It is believed that a supermassive black hole is stirring things up in the center of the galaxy, and that as the stars and matter collide on their way into the mouth of the black hole the material gets so hot that it jets out of the galaxy a huge distance. Imagine seeing the night sky from a planet in M87 with that jet streaking across the sky!