Elliptical Galaxy Messier 60 (M60, Arp 116)
Taken by Tom Wildoner on April 11, 2026 @
Weatherly, PA, USA
Click photo for larger image
| |
Camera Used: Unavailable Unavailable
Exposure Time: Unavailable
Aperture: Unavailable
ISO: Unavailable
Date Taken: 2026:06:26 07:43:06
|
|
| More images
Details:
Messier 60 (also designated NGC 4649) is a giant elliptical galaxy located roughly 55 to 57 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. As one of the brightest elliptical members of the sprawling Virgo Cluster, it spans about 120,000 light-years across and harbors roughly 400 billion stars alongside a dense system of over 5,000 globular clusters. At its core lies a colossal supermassive black hole weighing approximately 4.5 billion solar masses—one of the largest ever detected. Discovered in April 1779 by German astronomer Johann Gottfried Koehler while tracking a comet, M60 is also famous for its close optical partnership with the spiral galaxy NGC 4647. Together, the pair is cataloged as Arp 116; while their overlapping disks suggest a collision, astronomers have noted that tidal forces and gravitational interaction between the two giant systems are likely only just beginning.
Technical Details:
Telescope: Meade 12” LX-90 SCT with Antares Focal Reducer
Camera: ZWO ASI071MC (cooled to -10C) BIN2
Mount: Celestron CGX-L pier mounted
Capture: 171 x 60 seconds
Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA (Bortle 4)
Processing: DeepSkyStacker + PixInsight
Image Date: April 11, 2026.
Photographer's website:
https://www.thedarksideobservatory.com
|
|
|
