Cosmic Scale
Virgo Cluster
Cluster of galaxies · 54 million light-years
How big is Virgo Cluster?
Virgo Cluster is about 14 million light-years across.
See Virgo Cluster in 3D, at true scale
The Virgo Cluster is the nearest large cluster of galaxies, about 1,300 of them, and the heart of the Virgo Supercluster that contains the Local Group. M87 and its famous black hole sit near its centre.
At a glance
| Diameter | 14 million light-years |
|---|---|
| Mass | 2.39 × 10⁴⁵ kg |
| Diameter compared with Earth | 1.1 × 10¹⁶ × Earth |
| Distance | 54 million light-years |
| Galaxies | About 1,300, maybe 2,000 |
| Brightest | M49 |
Good to know
- Its gravity slows the Milky Way's retreat from it as the universe expands.
- It is still forming, with several groups of galaxies falling in and merging.
- Dozens of its galaxies can be seen in a small telescope.
- Next smaller: Local Group · 10 million light-years
- Next larger: Alcyoneus · 16 million light-years