Messier 60

Messier 60 is an elliptical galaxy approximately 57 million light-years away in the equatorial constellation of Virgo. At the center of M60 is a supermassive black hole of 4.5±1.0 billion solar masses, one of the largest ever found. NGC 4647 appears approximately 2′.5 from Messier 60; the optical disks of the two galaxies overlap. Although this overlap suggests that the galaxies are interacting, photographic images of the two galaxies do not reveal any evidence for gravitational interactions between the two galaxies as would be suggested if the two galaxies were physically close to each other. This suggests that the galaxies are at different distances and are only weakly interacting if at all. However, studies with the Hubble Space Telescope show indications that a tidal interaction may have just begun.