The color distributions of globular clusters in Virgo elliptical galaxies

This Letter presents the color distributions of the globular cluster (GC) s ystems of 12 Virgo elliptical galaxies, measured using data from the Hubble Space Telescope. Bright galaxies with large numbers of detected GCs show t wo distinct cluster populations with mean V - I colors near 1.01 and 1.26. The GC population of M86 is a clear exception; its color distribution shows a single, sharp peak near V - I = 1.03. The absence of the red population in this galaxy, and the consistency of the peak colors in the others, may b e indications of the origins of the two populations found in most bright el liptical galaxies.