Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Messier 87

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for February 20, 2025 is “Messier 87,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team. The original explanation runs about 126 words.

Messier 87
Credit: Image Credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Enormous elliptical galaxy Messier 87 is about 50 million light-years away. Also known as NGC 4486, the giant galaxy holds trillions of stars compared to the mere billions of stars in our large spiral Milky Way.”

— APOD editors, February 20, 2025

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
February 20, 2025
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 126 words

All of February 2025 → · 2025 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

The Milky WayGalaxies

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: February 20 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.