NGC 4472 is a giant elliptical galaxy located in the constellation Virgo. It is one of the brightest members of the Virgo Cluster and is approximately 55 million light-years away from Earth. NGC 4472 is notable for its large number of globular clusters and its significant amount of hot gas. Discovered by William Herschel in 1784, NGC 4472 has an estimated diameter of about 130,000 light-years. It contains a supermassive black hole at its center, which is common in large galaxies. The galaxy is also a site of ongoing star formation, despite its classification as an elliptical galaxy.