A photo of the huge elliptical galaxy M87 [left] is compared to its three-dimensional shape as gleaned from meticulous observations made with the Hubble and Keck telescopes [right]. Because the galaxy is too far away for astronomers to employ stereoscopic vision, they instead followed the motion of stars around the center of M87, like bees around a hive. This created a three-dimensional view of how stars are distributed within the galaxy.
Credits
Illustration
NASA, ESA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI), Frank Summers (STScI)
Science
Chung-Pei Ma (UC Berkeley)
