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.
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' |
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.