IS THERE REALLY A SUPERMASSIVE BLACK-HOLE IN M87

We present the first HST long-slit spectrum of a gaseous disc around a candidate supermassive black hole. The results of this study on the k inematics of the gaseous disc in M87 are a considerable improvement in both spatial resolution and accuracy over previous observations, and require a projected mass of M-BH(sin i)(2) = (2.0 +/- 0.5) x 10(9) M-. (M-BH = 3.2 x 10(9) M-. for a disc inclination i = 52 degrees) concen trated within a sphere of radius less than 0.05 arcsec (3.5 pc) to exp lain the observed rotation curve. The kinematics of the ionized gas ar e well described by a thin disc in Keplerian motion. A lower limit to the mass-to-light ratio of this region is M/L-V similar or equal to 11 0, significantly strengthening the claim that this mass is due to the presence of a central black hole in M87.