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M86
elliptical galaxy in Virgo
M86 is a large elliptical or lenticular galaxy in the middle of the Virgo Cluster. It is one of the brightest galaxies there, and it is moving toward us unusually fast, partly because of the cluster's gravity.
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// Key facts
- Catalog
- M86
- Type
- elliptical galaxy
- Constellation
- Virgo
- Size
- 9′ across
- Brightness
- Magnitude 8.9
- Distance
- about 52 million light-years
- Peak month (any location)
- Mar
- Typical prime months
- Jan to Jun
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Filter
- No filter (broadband); a light-pollution filter is optional
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How to image M86
- Frame it with M84 at about 600 to 1,000 mm, because the pair sits together in Markarian's Chain.
- Long exposure shows faint extended halo and surrounding galaxies.
- Best in spring evenings from northern sites.
Framing: what focal length?
M86 is small, so a "60% of the frame" focal length would be impractical. Here is how much of an APS-C frame it covers at common long focal lengths; expect to crop.
| Focal length | Share of the frame width |
|---|---|
| 1,000 mm | about 11% |
| 2,000 mm | about 22% |
| 3,000 mm | about 33% |
How high does it climb from your latitude?
The highest point M86 reaches in the sky. Above about 60° is excellent, 30° to 60° is workable, and under 30° you are looking through a lot of air.
| Latitude | Highest point | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 55°N (Scotland, Alaska) | 48° | Workable |
| 45°N (Minneapolis, Milan) | 58° | Workable |
| 35°N (Los Angeles, Tokyo) | 68° | High in the sky |
| 25°N (Miami, Cairo) | 78° | High in the sky |
| 35°S (Sydney, Santiago) | 42° | Workable |
Also worth imaging
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