What is Messier 49?
Q: What is Messier 49?
A: Messier 49 (also known as NGC 4472) is an elliptical galaxy about 49 million light-years away in the constellation of Virgo. It was discovered by French astronomer Charles Messier in 1771 and is the most luminous member of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies.
Q: How far away from Earth is Messier 49?
A: Messier 49 is approximately 49 million light-years away from Earth.
Q: What type of galaxy is Messier 49?
A: Messier 49 is an elliptical galaxy.
Q: What star does it lie near to?
A: Messier 49 lies 4.1° west-southwest of the star Epsilon Virginis.
Q: Does it have any radio emission?
A: Yes, Messier 49 has the radio emission of a normal galaxy.
Q: Is there evidence for a supermassive black hole in this galaxy?
A: Yes, X-rays emitted from the core suggest that there may be a supermassive black hole with 565 million times the mass of our Sun present in this galaxy.
Q: How many globular clusters are estimated to orbit M49?
A: There are approximately 5,900 globular clusters orbiting M49.
