M87 with Plasma Jet and M89

by Willem Jan Drijfhout

Objects in field: Virgo Galaxy, M 87, NGC 4476, NGC 4478, NGC 4486, IC 3443

Equipment: Takahashi TOA-130NFB, ZWO ASI6200MM Pro

Integration: 18h 38m

M87 and M89 are well known members of the Virgo cluster. As part of an endeavour to image the complete Messier catalogue, I decided to make a separate image of these two galaxies. With my 1000mm refractor, they both fitted nicely within one frame. They are both elliptical galaxies and not particularly interesting. But M87 has a prominent jet of energetic plasma that originates from its core and…