What is m89?

Messier 89 (M89)

M89 is an elliptical galaxy located approximately 55 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. It's a member of the Virgo Cluster, a large group of galaxies.

Key Features:

• Type: Elliptical Galaxy (E0) - meaning it appears nearly spherical.
• Distance: Roughly 55 million light-years.
• Size: About 150,000 light-years in diameter.
• Mass: Estimated to be around 1 trillion times the mass of the Sun.
• Central Supermassive Black Hole: M89 harbors a supermassive black hole at its center. Its mass is estimated to be around 1 billion solar masses.
• Unusual Halo: M89 possesses a relatively smooth halo of gas and dust extending out to 150,000 light-years. This halo is unusually smooth, lacking the ripples and structures commonly seen in other elliptical galaxies. There is also a shell-like structure, which suggests past galactic mergers.
• X-ray Emission: M89 emits X-rays.
• Discovery: Charles Messier discovered M89 in 1781.