Astronomy Picture of the Day

                         Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
 fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
                           professional astronomer.

                                2018 August 14
                                      [2]
                      M86 in the Central Virgo Cluster
         Image Credit & Copyright: Mark Hanson [3] , Stan Watson Obs.

Explanation: Is there a bridge of gas connecting these two great galaxies?
Quite possibly, but it is hard to be sure. M86 [4]  on the upper left is a
giant elliptical galaxy [5]  near the center of the nearby Virgo Cluster [6]
of galaxies. Our Milky Way Galaxy is falling toward the Virgo Cluster [7] ,
located about 50 million light years [8]  away. To the lower right of M86 [9]
is unusual spiral galaxy NGC 4438, which, together with angular neighbor NGC
4435, are known as the Eyes Galaxies [10] (also Arp 120). Featured here [11]
is one of the deeper images yet taken of the region, indicating that
red-glowing gas surrounds M86 and seemingly connects [12]  it to NGC 4438. The
image spans about the size of the full moon. It is also known, however, that
cirrus gas [13]  in our own Galaxy [14]  is superposed in front [15]  of the
Virgo cluster [16] , and observations of the low speed of this gas seem more
consistent [17]  with this Milky Way origin hypothesis. A definitive answer
may come from future research [18] , which may also resolve how the extended
blue arms of NGC 4435 were created.

Open Science: Browse 1,750+ codes in the Astrophysics Source Code Library [19]

                        Tomorrow's picture: open space

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Site notes:
  [1] archivepix.html
  [2] image/1808/M86Eyes_Hanson_1143.jpg
  [3] https://www.hansonastronomy.com/bio/
  [4] ap080425.html
  [5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliptical_gala...
  [6] ap170624.html
  [7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgocentric_fl...
  [8] https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/en/
  [9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_86
  [10] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyes_Galaxies
  [11] https://www.hansonastronomy.com/m86-group
  [12] http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2008ApJ...687L....
  [13] https://www.cosmotography.com/images/galactic...
  [14] ap100322.html
  [15] ap180108.html
  [16] ap050926.html
  [17] http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010MNRAS.403L....
  [18] http://www.eclipsechaser.com/eclink/image/ecm...
  [19] http://ascl.net/code/all
  [20] ap180813.html
  [21] archivepix.html
  [22] lib/apsubmit2015.html
  [23] lib/aptree.html
  [24] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apo...
  [25] calendar/allyears.html
  [26] /apod.rss
  [27] lib/edlinks.html
  [28] lib/about_apod.html
  [29] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?dat...
  [30] ap180815.html
  [31] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  [32] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  [33] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnel...
  [34] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  [35] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  [36] https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Priv...
  [37] https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  [38] https://www.nasa.gov/
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  [40] http://www.mtu.edu/

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