The HEASARC welcomes your participation in a brief survey to capture how users access and utilize HEASARC data, software, and services. The outcome(s) of this survey will be used to guide, prioritize, and plan our activities and development in the coming years. It contains 20 questions, generally takes just a few minutes to complete, and your answers will remain totally anonymous. The survey is open until Dec 18, 2023. We thank you in advance for your valuable feedback.

ROSAT Guest Observer Facility

The Virgo Cluster

Virgo Cluster

(Credit: S. L. Snowden)

The Virgo cluster is relatively nearby at a distance of 16 megaparsecs (52.2 million light-years). The bright and extensive emission in the upper right of the image originates from and extensive distribution of hot gas nearly 2.5 degrees in radius. For comparison, the full moon is 0.25 degrees in radius in the night sky. The cluster is centered on the galaxy M87. The bright extension of the emission to the upper left is centered on the galaxy M86. A number of other galaxies show up in the field as point sources.

Get the high resolution (200 dpi) TIFF format version.

Virgo Cluster 2
Credit: Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE)

Get the high resolution (300 dpi) TIFF format version.


Curator: Michael Arida (ADNET); arida@milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov
HEASARC Guest Observer Facility


Please use the Feedback link if you have questions on ROSAT.

This file was last modified on Tuesday, 25-Aug-2020 18:01:41 EDT

NASA Astrophysics

  • FAQ/Comments/Feedback
  • Education Resources
  • Download Adobe Acrobat
  • A service of the Astrophysics Science Division (ASD) at NASA/ GSFC

    ROSAT Project Scientist: Dr. Robert Petre

    Responsible NASA Official: Phil Newman

    Privacy Policy and Important Notices.