Hubble image of Arp 116 (annotated)
This image shows Arp 116, which is composed of a giant elliptical galaxy known as Messier 60, and a much smaller spiral galaxy, NGC 4647. Also included in the image is an annotated pointer to their even smaller neighbour M60-UCD1.
Lying about 50 million light-years away, M60-UCD1 is a tiny galaxy with a diameter of 300 light-years — just 1/500th of the diameter of the Milky Way! Despite its size it is pretty crowded, containing some 140 million stars.
An international team of astronomers have found a supermassive black hole at the centre of M60-UCD1 with the mass of 20 million Suns.
The original version of this image can be found here.
Credit:About the Image
| Id: | heic1419e |
| Type: | Collage |
| Release date: | 17 September 2014, 19:00 |
| Related releases: | heic1419 |
| Size: | 7373 x 5628 px |
About the Object
| Name: | M 60, M60-UCD1, Messier 60 |
| Type: | Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Elliptical Local Universe : Galaxy : Size : Dwarf Local Universe : Galaxy : Grouping : Pair |
| Distance: | 50 million light years |
| Category: | Galaxies |
Image Formats
Colours & filters
| Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
|---|---|---|
| Optical B | 475 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
| Optical V | 555 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2 |
| Infrared Z | 850 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
| Infrared I | 815 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2 |