The universe is full of mysteries, and among its most intriguing wonders are the galaxies that populate its vast expanse.

Some galaxies are well-known for their size, beauty, or shape, but there are others that defy expectations and challenge our understanding of the cosmos.

One such galaxy, which stands out as one of the most bizarre in the universe, is the Messier 87 (M87) galaxy, known for its strange features and intriguing behavior. Located in the Virgo Cluster, M87 is an enormous elliptical galaxy, but it has a few extraordinary characteristics that make it a subject of great interest to astronomers.

One of its most fascinating features is the supermassive black hole at its center, which has been extensively studied. This black hole is one of the largest known to exist, with a mass equivalent to about six and a half billion times that of our sun. In 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope captured the first-ever image of a black hole in M87, which was a groundbreaking achievement in the field of astronomy.

However, what truly makes M87 stand out is the incredibly long jet of energy and matter that emanates from its supermassive black hole. This jet, known as a relativistic jet, extends for thousands of light-years and is one of the longest known in any galaxy. The jet is composed of high-energy particles moving at nearly the speed of light, and its formation remains a subject of intense study.

Astronomers are still working to understand the processes behind such powerful and bizarre phenomena, and M87 provides a natural laboratory for such research. Another oddity of M87 is its unique elliptical shape. Most galaxies, including our Milky Way, are spiral galaxies, with rotating arms and a central bulge. Elliptical galaxies like M87, on the other hand, lack the distinctive spiral structure.

Instead, they appear more spherical or oval-shaped. This lack of a spiral structure makes M87 appear visually distinct from other galaxies, and its elliptical nature may also explain some of its other unusual characteristics, such as its relatively low rate of star formation.

The age of M87 is another factor that adds to its bizarre nature. It is thought to be about 13 billion years old, which places it among the oldest galaxies in the universe.

This age, combined with its elliptical shape and low star formation rate, suggests that M87 has evolved differently from other galaxies. It is thought that M87's core may have merged with other galaxies over time, which could explain its current size and structure.

In addition to its unique shape and supermassive black hole, M87 has been observed to be home to a large number of globular clusters—tight groups of stars that are often found in the halos of galaxies. These clusters are densely packed and can contain hundreds of thousands of stars, making them an important area of study for understanding the history of galaxies and the formation of stars.

M87 is not only bizarre in its physical properties but also in its history. It is believed that M87's strange characteristics are the result of multiple cosmic events, including mergers with other galaxies and interactions with its environment in the Virgo Cluster.

These factors have combined to create a galaxy that stands out as one of the most unusual in the universe.

The study of galaxies like M87 continues to push the boundaries of our understanding of the universe. Its bizarre features, from its supermassive black hole to its unusual shape and long jets, provide valuable insights into the complex processes that govern galaxy formation and evolution.

While there are certainly many other strange and mysterious galaxies in the universe, M87's combination of size, age, and bizarre features makes it one of the most fascinating objects in the cosmos!