Virgo cluster

The old elliptical galaxy M86 (centre) is, together with elliptical galaxy M84, a member of the Virgo galaxy cluster in constellation Virgo. M86 is located at a distance of about 52 Million light-years (16 Mpc). Other members of the Virgo cluster of galaxies can be identified (see annotated image below): e.g. NGC 4425, 4438, 4413, 4402, 4388. These galaxies of the Virgo Cluster are called “Markarian’s chain”. When viewed from Earth, the galaxies lie along a smoothly curved line. Charles Messier first discovered two of the galaxies, M84 and M86, in 1781. The other galaxies seen in the chain were discovered by William Herschel and are now known primarily by their catalog numbers in John Louis Emil Dreyer's New General Catalogue (NGC), published in 1888. It was ultimately named after the Armenian astrophysicist, Benjamin Markarian, who discovered their common motion in the early 1960s.

Virgo cluster of galaxies, 08 March 2024, Kempen, William Optics APO 110 mm, f/7, 

ASI1600mm pro, L (UV-IR cut), 8760 s, gain 139, T = -10C. 

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