A strong radio source in the constellation Virgo, identified with the 9th-magnitude giant elliptical galaxy M87 (also known as NGC 4486), lying near the centre of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies about 55 million l.y. away. It is a classical radio galaxy, with two lobes, the brighter one fed by a prominent jet 4000 l.y. long which is also visible at optical wavelengths.