The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
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Discovery Measures "Heartbeats" of a Distant Galaxy's Stars

  • The monstrous elliptical galaxy M87, located 53 million light-years from Earth is the dominant galaxy at the center of the neighboring Virgo cluster of galaxies. Astronomers have measured the "heartbeats" of stars within M87 and used that data to determine the galaxy's age in a new way. This photograph was taken with the Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys instrument.

    The monstrous elliptical galaxy M87, located 53 million light-years from Earth is the dominant galaxy at the center of the neighboring Virgo cluster of galaxies. Astronomers have measured the "heartbeats" of stars within M87 and used that data to determine the galaxy's age in a new way. This photograph was taken with the Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys instrument.

    NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team

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    High Resolution Image