M84 NGC 4374
M86 NGC 4406

Object Type Galaxy E1
Constellation Virgo
Magnitude 9.2
Size 6.5' x 5.6'

Situated near the heart of the Virgo supercluster are a pair of giant eliptical galaxies, M84 and M86. Easily visible in a small telescope, both galaxies appear as featureless smudges of light. At low magnification it is possible to have both galaxies visible in the same field.


Film Images



45 minutes exposure, Fuji Super HG V 400 film . 5" f/5 refractor at prime focus.

Being near the heart of the Virgo supercluster, the field is strewn with fainter galaxies. In the photograph above, there are over 50 galaxies visible in the original image. That image is reproduced below, with some of the brighter galaxies indicated and listed in the table below.

NUMBER NGC OTHER R.A. DEC MAG SIZE
1 NGC 4267 12 19.8 +12 48 11.9 3.2'x2.9'
2 NGC 4305 12 22.1 +12 44 13.6 2.1'x1.1'
3 NGC 4306 12 22.1 +12 47 13.6 1.6'x1.2'
4 NGC 4313 12 22.6 +11 48 12.5 4.0'x1.0'
5 NGC 4351 12 24.0 +12 12 13.0 1.9'x1.2'
6 IC 3311 12 25.5 +12 16 14.9 2.9'x0.3'
7 NGC 4374 M84 12 25.1 +12 53 10.1 6.5'x5.5'
8 NGC 4388 12 25.8 +12 40 11.8 7.6'x1.4'
9 NGC 4402 12 26.1 +13 07 12.6 4.7'x1.1'
10 NGC 4406 M86 12 26.2 +12 57 9.8 8.9'x5.7'

DSLR Images



305 second exposure. Modified Canon Digital Rebel DSLR camera.
5" f/5 refractor at prime focus.

These galaxies are among the brighter members of a chain of galaxies at the centre of the Virgo cluster, called Markarian's Chain. Starting from the east at the 11th magnitude NGC 4477 and its 13th magnitude companion NGC 4479, the chain arcs south-westwards past the giant ellipitical galaxies M84 and M86, to end at the 11th magnitude NGC 4267. In the image above, the central portion of the chain is displayed, centred near M86. Starting from the left (east) the galaxies are: NGC 4461, 4458, 4438, 4435, 4425, 4413, M86, 4402, 4388, 4387, and M84. Several other fainter galaxies are also visible in the image.