M84 - NGC 4374

Messier 84 (NGC 4374) is a giant elliptical or lenticular galaxy located approximately 60 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1781 and is a prominent member of the Virgo Cluster, situated near the heart of the cluster along a chain of galaxies known as Markarian's Chain. M84 is classified variably as an E1 elliptical or S0 lenticular galaxy, and it has a visual magnitude of about 9.1 with a physical diameter of approximately 110,000 light-years. The galaxy harbors a supermassive black hole at its center with an estimated mass of about 1.5 billion solar masses, detected through observations of rapidly rotating gas and stars near the nucleus. Hubble Space Telescope spectroscopy revealed gas orbiting the center at velocities up to 400 kilometers per second, confirming the presence of this massive black hole. M84 is also a radio source, designated 3C 272.1, with two small radio jets emanating from the active nucleus. The galaxy possesses a rich system of globular clusters and has a smooth, featureless appearance typical of elliptical galaxies. M84 lies at one end of Markarian's Chain, a beautiful curving string of galaxies that is a highlight of the Virgo Cluster for visual observers and astrophotographers. In amateur telescopes, M84 appears as a bright, nearly circular patch of light with a strong central concentration. It is often seen in the same telescopic field as M86, and the two galaxies make a striking pair that serves as a gateway to exploring the dense core of the Virgo Cluster.

M84 spans approximately 110,000 light-years in diameter, harbors a 1.5 billion solar mass black hole, and lies about 60 million light-years away in the Virgo Cluster.