The Lobster Eye Imager for Astronomy (LEIA) is the pathfinder of the wide-field X-ray telescope used in the Einstein Probe mission. In this study, we present an image of the Virgo Cluster taken by LEIA in the 0.5–4.5 keV band with an exposure time of ∼17.3 ks in the central region. This extended emission is generally consistent with the results obtained by ROSAT. However, the field is affected by bright point sources due to the instrument’s Point Spread Function (PSF) effect. Through fitting of the LEIA spectrum of the Virgo Cluster, we obtained a temperature of $2.1_{-0.1}^{+0.3}$ keV, which is consistent with the XMM-Newton results (∼2.3 keV). Above 1.6 keV, the spectrum is dominated by the X-ray background. In summary, this study validates LEIA’s extended source imaging and spectral resolution capabilities for the first time.

We study the structural and dynamical properties of A209 based on Chandra and XMM-Newton observations. We obtain detailed temperature, pressure, and entropy maps with the contour binning method, and find a hot region in the NW direction. The X-ray brightness residual map and corresponding temperature profiles reveal a possible shock front in the NW direction and a cold front feature in the SE direction. Combined with the galaxy luminosity density map we propose a weak merger scenario. A young sub-cluster passing from the SE to NW direction could explain the optical subpeak, the intracluster medium temperature map, the X-ray surface brightness excess, and the X-ray peak offset together.