A huge jet of hot ionized gas (plasma) extends out from the nucleus, but it is only visible through the largest amateur telescopes. Despite its huge size, M87 resembles an unresolved globular cluster. It's like a titanic puffball and offers little in the way of details in small telescopes. A tiny 11th magnitude elliptical galaxy, NGC 4478 can be observed close to M87.

Click here to see if this object is visible in your sky tonight.