M86 in the Virgo Cluster
Credit & Copyright: Greg Morgan (Sierra Remote Observatories)
Posted on 04/25/2008 4:15:36 PM PDT by sig226
Explanation: Bright lenticular galaxy M86 is near center of this cosmic view, at the heart of the Virgo Galaxy Cluster. Other bright galaxies in the neighborhood include M84 at the upper right, edge-on spiral NGC4388 near the right edge, a striking pair of interacting galaxies, Markarian's Eyes, in the lower left corner, and edge-on spiral NGC 4402 at about 11 o'clock. With well over a thousand members, the Virgo Cluster is the closest large cluster of galaxies. On average the cluster galaxies are measured to be about 50 million light-years away. The entire Virgo Cluster is difficult to appreciate because it covers such a large area, spanning over 10 degrees on the sky. This cluster close-up covers a region just under 1 degree wide or about 1.5 times the size of the full moon.
We are not alone in this universe; no way, no how.
Imagine travelling between galaxies, pure Hollywood. Imagine travelling to another star, maybe someday. Imagine travelling to the nearest planet, that maybe we will be able to do. But, although it is mostly beyond possibility, we have implicitly claimed all that in the image by the 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty and private persons will not be allowed to claim or develop any of it.
By the time we are able to get to any of these places, the UN, God willing, will only exist as the punch line of a very old, very bad, joke.
So old that nobody will remember the language. Like we wouldn’t probably get the point of a Hittite joke.
Kind of sad when you think about it, but also very true.
Even much of our wildest science fiction keeps us within our own galaxy. It’s just so far outside the realm of possibility at this point that even fiction writers keep us here.
However in about 2 billion years the Andromeda galaxy will be passing through if you wanna wait.
Certainly is beautiful.
I’d Hittite...
The question of the ages!
Thanks for the post. I just bought a Celestron NexStar 8 SE telescope. Looks like I’ve got some viewing to do, especially with my lowest power eyepiece that would just about cover the area in the picture.
Q: How many Hittites does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: What’s a light bulb?
Many women and employers have told me that I don’t know the answer to your question.
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