Messier 89

Messier 89 (also known as NGC 4552 ) is a bright elliptical galaxy may 9.8 with a surface area of 5.1 '× 4.7 ' in the constellation Virgo.

M89 appears almost circular and has in the Hubble sequence type E0. However, it was in the 1990s an extended envelope, which is about 150,000 light-years extends outwardly discovered. M89 was the first galaxy in such a case is detected. In addition, a jetartige structure was discovered, indicating that another galaxy in the process of dissolution is in M89.

Discovery

The galaxy Messier 89 was discovered on 18 March 1781 by the French astronomer Charles Messier.