Sky & Telescope - April 2022 - 24

Star magnitudes
ESA / HUBBLE / NASA
Cosmic Concatenation
+30°
M3
β
Arcturus
α
τ
BOÖTES
ε
1
2
3
4
5
M60
M87
ο
M49
δ
VIRGO
β
ζ
γ
CRATER
14h
Spica 13h
α
M104
12h
-10°
ε
through this medium fast enough then this hot gas environment
can strip gas and dust from it. M86's trajectory through
the Virgo Cluster doesn't necessarily mean it will merge with
the Milky Way in the distant future - it's still gravitationally
bound to the Cluster - but it helps to illustrate the likely temporary
nature of Markarian's Chain as a coherent structure.
In a suburban sky, M86 looks much like M84 - a round
glow. However, in darker conditions its outer reaches have a
distinct oval shape extending southeast to northwest that -
along with its bright core - are its defining visual features.
I've been impressed by how elongated M86 appears in darker
skies, and its distinctive shape is made even more apparent
by a quick comparison with its much rounder neighbor, M84.
These two galaxies make a memorable sight together, and
Marvelous Markarian's Chain
Object
Type
M84/NGC 4374
M86/NGC 4406
NGC 4435
NGC 4438
NGC 4458
NGC 4461
NGC 4473
NGC 4477
NGC 4479
Elliptical
Elliptical
Barred Lenticular
Lenticular
Elliptical
Barred Lenticular
Elliptical
Barred Lenticular
Barred Lenticular
Surface Brightness
13.0
13.2
12.5
13.6
13.1
12.8
12.8
13.1
13.0
M84's appeal is boosted even more by its proximity to M86.
My 28-inch draws out several smaller and fainter non-Chain
NGC galaxies - four to the south and one to the north.
Depending on the quality of your observing site you may
see these NGC galaxies along with M84 and M86 as an oval
subgrouping of galaxies in the Chain, with M86 at its center.
Or, you might see a face looking back at you.
0°
M61
ν
+10°
γ
COMA BERENICES
M64
α
M53
M100
M98
LEO
δ
M85
β
Denebola
+20°
M65
M66
N
IN THE HEART OF THE CLUSTER Markarian's Chain is worthy of full
exploration in its own right, but it also serves as a handy launching pad
for venturing forth into the Virgo Galaxy Cluster.
DUSTY LANES By measuring the motion of the gas and stars at the
core of the elliptical galaxy M84, astronomers were able to estimate the
mass of the supermassive black hole lurking within to be about 1.5 billion
solar masses. This Hubble Space Telescope image combines visible and
infrared exposures and shows only the central region of the galaxy.
Mag(v)
9.1
8.9
10.8
10.2
12.1
11.2
10.2
10.4
12.4
Size
6.5′ × 5.6′
8.9′ × 5.8′
2.8′ × 2.0′
8.5′ × 3.2′
1.7′ × 1.6′
3.5′ × 1.4′
4.5′ × 2.5′
3.8′ × 3.5′
1.5′ × 1.3′
Dist. (M l-y)
57.1
61.3
54.8
53.8
54.1
56.1
54.5
56.8
58.8
RA
12h 25.1m
12h 26.2m
12h 27.7m
12h 27.8m
12h 29.0m
12h 29.1m
12h 29.8m
12h 30.0m
12h 30.3m
Dec.
+12° 53′
+12° 57′
+13° 05′
+13° 00′
+13° 14′
+13° 11′
+13° 26′
+13° 38′
+13° 35′
Angular sizes and distances are from recent catalogs. Visually, an object's size is often smaller than the cataloged value and varies according to the aperture and
magnification of the viewing instrument. Right ascension and declination are for equinox 2000.0.
24 APRIL 2022 * SKY & TELESCOPE

Sky & Telescope - April 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sky & Telescope - April 2022