Image of the giant elliptical galaxy M87, from the "Big Picture". In its core, this galaxy harbors a massive black hole, probably a billion times the mass of our Sun, from whose vicinity emerges a powerful jet of radiation and particles (the blue feature near the center of the galaxy). The galaxy is also a strong source of radio waves. It is also surrounded by thousands of globular star clusters, appearing as yellowish dots on this image.

Image credit: The Palomar-Quest Team, California Institute of Technology