M88

NASA

Hubble Captures M88 on Journey to Center of Virgo Cluster

The focus of this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image is an active spiral galaxy on a journey lasting hundreds of millions of years. The galaxy Messier 88 (M88), also known as NGC 4501, is located about 63 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices (Berenice’s Hair).  M88 is an active galaxy, which means that its center harbors a supermassive black hole that is snacking on gas and dust. Astronomers…