Most of the public had never heard of the Messier 87 galaxy until a few years ago. This changed on the morning of April 10, 2019, as scientists released the first image of the supermassive black hole at the heart of M87. When the image appeared in my news feed that morning, I recall rushingContinueContinue reading “Messier 87 (NGC 4486): Home of a Famous Black Hole”
Tag Archives: Virgo
Struve 1677: A Close Pair of Stars Near Porrima in Virgo
Struve 1677 (STF 1677) is a double star in the spring constellation of Virgo. The binary stars are fairly close together but can be split with a telescope at 16 arc seconds apart. This double is also known as SAO 138952 or HIP 62234 and lies near Porrima.
HD 118266: An Attractive Orange and Dim Blue Binary in Virgo
Learn about the pretty double star HD 118266 in the constellation Virgo viewed on spring nights. The star also known as HJ 228, is a binary star that has a orange primary and a dimmer blue companion that lies far apart enough for smaller scopes to observe. It’s also known as SAO 100630, HIP 66326, HR 5114.
Struve 1904: A Nice Double Star in Virgo
The author explores the galaxies in the Virgo constellation, focusing on the double star STF 1904, discovered by Friedrich Struve in 1823. Comprising a subgiant primary and a main-sequence secondary star, they are 247 light years from Earth. Observations made in Seattle reveal their distinct separation and brightness.
Also known as: SAO 120822, HD 133408, HR 5610, HIP 73716, STF 1904
54 Virginis: A Close Pair of Stars Near the Celestial Equator
54 Virginis is a double star in the spring constellation of Virgo. The stars are fairly close together but can be split with a telescope.This double is also known as LM Vie, SAO 157799, or HIP 64520.
SS Virginis: An Orange-Red Variable and Carbon Star in Virgo
SS Virginis (SS Vir) is a Mira variable and carbon star located in the constellation Virgo, best viewed in springtime. It pulsated over a period of 361 days.
Struve 1664: A Hockey Stick (or Jaws) Near the Sombrero Galaxy
Struve 1664 is a double star in the constellation Virgo, residing near the famous Messier 104. The binary has a little more to offer than most. Two stars near the pair round out a stellar arrangement or asterism that looks like a hockey stick or Jaws.
Messier 58 (NGC 4579): Messier’s Most Distant Object
Messier 58 (M58) is barred spiral galaxy in the Virgo constellation. It shows as a faint patch of light in moderate scopes from suburban backyards.
The Garden Astronomer 