This image from our FSQ106/QSI683 rig shows a portion of the Virgo cluster, a giant cluster of galaxies containing more than 1300 galaxies. From the website messier-objects: "Messier 60 (M60) is a giant elliptical galaxy located in the constellation Virgo. The galaxy has an apparent magnitude of 9.8 and lies at an approximate distance of 55 million light years from Earth. It has the designation NGC 4649 in the New General Catalogue. Messier 60 is a member of the Virgo Cluster, a group of more than 1,300 galaxies located in Virgo constellation. It is the third brightest elliptical galaxy in the cluster – fainter only than Messier 49 and Messier 87 – and is the dominant galaxy in a subcluster of four galaxies. The subcluster is the nearest known isolated compact group of galaxies. Messier 60 is the easternmost Messier galaxy in the Virgo Cluster. It is located 25 arc minutes away from M59 and can be seen in the same field of view at lower magnifications."
I also found this impressive image from the NASA website showing the elliptical galaxy at close quarters, itself as massive as one trillion suns,
NASA Messier 60.
I have also posted the annotated version too. Enjoy faint fuzzy spotting.
Data acquisition: Barry Wilson & Steve Milne.
Processing: Barry Wilson
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