Messier 87 and Virgo A

 

Messier 87 in the Constellation Virgo. PIRATE robotic Telescope Mount Teide, BVR filters, Hydrogen alpha filter  and Clear filter combined. Over-layed with Ultra violet data from the GALEX space Telescope.  Data Credits: telescope.org, Open Observatories, Open University, Astrometry net and NASA.
Image Credit: Pip Stakkert Jodrell Plank Observatory.

Annotated version M87: Credit Astrometry net.

Annotated and enlarged section of the galaxy core
to better show the plasma jet. Image credit: Kurt Thrust.

"Pip Stakkert combined the data from these two research grade telescopes to show the jet of energetic plasma issuing from the galaxy's massive central black hole and extending 4900 light years outwards. You can just see the jet at the centre of the large elliptical galaxy at approximately 10 -o'- clock position.

The plasma jet from the core of M87 issues from the supermassive black hole at its center. This black hole, which was famously imaged by the Event Horizon Telescope, is actively accreting matter. As material falls toward the black hole, some of it gets caught in powerful magnetic fields and is ejected outward at nearly the speed of light, forming a relativistic jet.

These jets are powered by the immense gravitational and electromagnetic forces near the black hole. The plasma is accelerated along magnetic field lines, creating a highly energetic stream that extends thousands of light-years into space. Observations suggest that the jet is composed of charged particles, primarily electrons, moving at relativistic speeds, which makes it a strong source of radio and X-ray emissions.

The elliptical galaxy Messier 87 is thought to contain more than a trillion stars, is almost spherical having a diameter of 120,000 light years and is over 50 million light years away. With an apparent magnitude of 9.6 it is visible as a small smudge of light through a small telescope. It can be found in the sky within the boundaries of the constellation Virgo. It is visible in our images as a large ball of diffuse light with a bright central core. The jet can be seen emanating from this core. M87 is too far away to make out any of the constituent stars. The stars which you see in our images are located much closer to home in our Milky Way galaxy. It is thought that M87 although very large in mass sits within an absolutely enormous surrounding halo of dark matter which can only be observed by its gravitational influence on other galaxies within the local group of galaxies". - Kurt Thrust current director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.