False-color overlay of the radio and X-ray emission from the inner part of the
Virgo Cluster of Galaxies. The X-ray image, obtained
by the Einstein (HEAO-2) X-ray satellite, is coded in blue, the radio image,
obtained with the VLA, is coded red. While in X-rays, the central giant
elliptical galaxy M87 is dominating and some other
X-ray bright galactic cores are visible (such as
M86), the radio image mainly shows emission of
interstellar matter (hydrogen, H I), in particular from the dominating spiral
galaxies in the cluster. The X-ray image is a mosaic of many individual
observations.
Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF
References
Last Modification: September 12, 2005