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Compass and Scale Image of M87 Jet

Compass and Scale Image of M87 Jet

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    12h 30m 49.42s
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    12° 23' 28.02"
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Virgo
  • Distance
    DistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
    54 million light-years (17 megaparsecs)

About the Data

  • Data Description
    Data DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
    Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.
    This image was created from HST data from proposals: 8140, 8780, 8048, 9461, 9829, 10133, and 10617: J. Biretta (STScI) and 9474: W. Sparks (STScI).
  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    HST>STIS/MAMA
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    July 17, 2002
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    F25QTZ
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    M87 Jet
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Giant Elliptical Galaxy with Jet
  • Release Date
    April 14, 2009
  • Science Release
    Hubble Witnesses Spectacular Flaring in Gas Jet from M87’s Black Hole
    Read the release
  • Credit
    Illustration: NASA, ESA, and Z. Levay (STScI); Science: NASA, ESA, and J. Madrid (McMaster University)

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  • 600 × 600
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Compass and Scale
Compass and ScaleAn astronomical image with a scale that shows how large an object is on the sky, a compass that shows how the object is oriented on the sky, and the filters with which the image was made.

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Details

Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

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