M59

Messier 59 is one of the larger elliptical members of the Virgo Cluster, which lies about 60 million light years from Earth, but it is considerably less luminous and massive than the true giants in this cluster. M59 seems to be about 90,000 light years across at its longest dimension. Long exposure images reveal a system of about 1900 satellite globular clusters.

Image taken March 20, 2012, with the C-14 operating at F:3.5 and the ST-8 camera binned 2 X 2. Exposure is 2 minutes.