M87* size and scale context

M87* is the supermassive black hole at the center of Messier 87. The Event Horizon Telescope’s 2019 image of its glowing ring became the first direct image of a black hole’s immediate surroundings, turning a previously inferred boundary into a measurable true-scale object. Read its scale context, comparisons, and journey links on the canonical object page.

BetelgeuseRed supergiant star·1.05 billion km
VY Canis MajorisRed hypergiant star·1.98 billion km
Solar SystemPlanetary system·9 billion km
M87*Supermassive black hole·38 billion km
Holm 15A*Ultramassive black hole·236 billion km

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