The Peculiar Virgo Cluster Galaxy NGC 4388

The unusual galaxy NGC 4388, found in the constellation Virgo, is classified as a spiral, but shows some of the features of an elliptical galaxy as well. Because of its bright nucleus, the galaxy is one of the brighter members of the large, gravitationally bound collection of over 1,300 galaxies called the Virgo cluster. Its outer regions are smooth and featureless, resembling an elliptical, but the nearly edge-on galaxy also shows two remarkably dusty arms. Within the arms, speckles of bright blue mark the locations of young stars, indicating that NGC 4388 has hosted recent bursts of star formation. The galaxy is located about 65 million light-years away — about 10 million light-years farther than the center of the Virgo cluster.