M87 jet

[nytecam]

Anyone spied the M87 jet? It's very close to galaxy core and needs a big scope but easier to snap last spring [below] with more modest aperture:hello2:

Currently hidden in trees to SE at a civil hour from home where I observe but will give it a go later:rolleyes:

[Macavity]

Something I wondered too - Ran out of time, decent weather!

Maybe with VIDEO astronomy... magnitude penetration.

[ollypenrice]

Steve O'Meara, I think, said he suspected it in a 20 inch Dob. Since he seems to see more in a 4 inch Genesis than I see in a our 20 inch I think i'm going to take that as a 'no!'

Olly

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I have never spotted it in my 8" but would love to have a go in "sir Isaac" (Olly's 20"). Nice set of images there.

[acey]

Sightings have been reported with 16" and 12.5" scopes.

M87 Jet

A sighting with an 8" was also claimed, then retracted.

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/5138865/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1/vc/1

I've tried (not very hard) with a 12", and failed. Apparently the difficulty is that the jet itself is relatively bright, and is seen against the bright background of the galaxy, so it is of low contrast, and of course small.

Also, there are two faint galaxies that lie in a line very close to M87: it is possible that the image at the top of this thread shows those, not the jet. They can be seen in the image on the first webpage I linked to; Reiner Vogel's post on the Cloudy Nights thread linked above shows these galaxies marked with their PGC identities on a DSS image, as well as the jet itself. The PGCs and jet point in quite different directions away from M87, so it's an easy matter to distinguish them.

For a reliable visual observation it sounds like you probably need at least 20", though people have repeatedly tried and failed with apertures larger than that.

Edit:

Nytecam, I realise that you also contributed a pic to the Cloudy Nights thread. Are you sure your image here shows the jet, not the PGCs?

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Given the size of the FOV I think the PGC galaxies are further out. The little blotch seems to reach about 20-25 arcsec from the nucleus. The PGC galaxies are further out, I think

[acey]

The image has north at the top so the direction is right for the jet. I agree the PGCs must be further out. All we need now is a visual observation...

[nytecam]

Also, there are two faint galaxies that lie in a line very close to M87: it is possible that the image at the top of this thread shows those, not the jet.

Edit: Nytecam, I realise that you also contributed a pic to the Cloudy Nights thread. Are you sure your image here shows the jet, not the PGCs?

Confident - those PGC gxys are way outside the core of M87 and on my widefield images and widely spaced. The jet is tiny and close and personal to M87. This query seems a common mistake. The jet needs high power and good seeing - imaging is more forgiving:hello2:

Best amateur image @ http://www.pknoll.net/astronomy/kuhn_m87.jpg

[Stargazer Jack]

Bit of a silly question but what is it and what causes it?

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

The accepted explanation is that it is a jet formed when material spirals into a super-massive black hole at the core of the galaxy. As material gets heated in this accretion disk, some of the material does not fall into the black hole, but is ejected along the axis of rotation. Typically, this would be symmetrical, but we generally only see the one coming towards us most clearly, because it is both heavily blue-shifted and brightened by the Doppler effect, whereas the other jet is red shifted and dimmed.

[Stargazer Jack]

Oh, sounds interesting. Thanks

[Si Rollett]

If that's a black hole is it the closest?

[rory]

If that's a black hole is it the closest?

no i dont believe so. m87 is another galaxy in the virgo cluster.

theres probably one in our own galaxy, which is much much closer.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Many observations suggest there is one in the core of our galaxy (nearest super-massive black hole), and Cygnus X-1 (most likely more regular size black hole) is closer still (6100 ly approximately).

[m_j_lyons]

Nytecam - is that image of the M87 jet one that you took? That's an amazing image!

[nytecam]

Nytecam - is that image of the M87 jet one that you took? That's an amazing image!

Thanks MJL - yes here's another complete pic from last spring showing the subtle jet and the two field galaxies to SW

[nytecam]

and same pic sharpened:hello2:

[Daniel-K]

i will give this ago in my 16!

[nytecam]

First quick pics tonight for a year - the jet's still there awaiting:hello2:

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Nice images!

[nytecam]

My 'finder' chart from last night may help locate the jet:hello2: