Markarian’s Chain is a photogenic string of galaxies threading across the heart of the Virgo Cluster, anchored by the bright ellipticals Messier 84 (NGC 4374) at magnitude 10.49 and Messier 86 (NGC 4406) at magnitude 8.9, which the catalogs list as separate, independent objects. The chain continues through The Eyes (Arp 120, NGC 4438) and NGC 4435, the interacting pair NGC 4461 and NGC 4458, and on to NGC 4473 and the barred spiral NGC 4477 in neighboring Coma Berenices. Because the members span a wide range of apparent sizes — from Messier 86 at 9.3′ × 6.6′ down to NGC 4458 at just 1.7′ — a wide, well-framed field lets the whole gentle curve fit into a single exposure. Their moderate surface brightnesses, such as 22.0 mag/arcsec² for Messier 86 and 21.7 mag/arcsec² for NGC 4435, reward long integration under dark skies to draw out the faint outer halos and the interacting tidal features.
Names and Catalog numbers
- Markarian's Chain
- Markarian's Chain
- M 84 (Messier 84) (member object: M 84)
- NGC 4374 (member object: M 84)
- UGC 7494 (member object: M 84)
- PGC 40455 (member object: M 84)
- M 86 (Messier 86) (member object: M 86)
- NGC 4406 (member object: M 86)
- UGC 7532 (member object: M 86)
- PGC 40653 (member object: M 86)
- The Eyes (member object: Arp 120)
- NGC 4438 (member object: Arp 120)
- UGC 7574 (member object: Arp 120)
- PGC 40914 (member object: Arp 120)
- Arp 120 (member object: Arp 120)
- NGC 4435 (member object: NGC 4435)
- UGC 7575 (member object: NGC 4435)
- PGC 40898 (member object: NGC 4435)
- NGC 4461 (member object: NGC 4461)
- UGC 7613 (member object: NGC 4461)
- PGC 41111 (member object: NGC 4461)
- NGC 4473 (member object: NGC 4473)
- UGC 7631 (member object: NGC 4473)
- PGC 41228 (member object: NGC 4473)
- NGC 4477 (member object: NGC 4477)
- UGC 7638 (member object: NGC 4477)
- PGC 41260 (member object: NGC 4477)
- NGC 4458 (member object: NGC 4458)
- UGC 7610 (member object: NGC 4458)
- PGC 41095 (member object: NGC 4458)
Position and the cosmic neighborhood
Markarian’s Chain sits at right ascension 12h 27m and declination +13° 10′, sweeping through eastern Virgo and reaching into Coma Berenices, where NGC 4473 and NGC 4477 are cataloged. The bright anchors Messier 84 (NGC 4374) and Messier 86 (NGC 4406) mark the western end of the arc, while The Eyes (Arp 120, NGC 4438) with NGC 4435, the interacting galaxies NGC 4461 and NGC 4458, and finally NGC 4473 and NGC 4477 trace the elegant curve toward the northeast. All lie within the crowded core of the Virgo Cluster, so a single wide field captures not only the named chain members but dozens of fainter background galaxies scattered across the frame. Distances among the members range from about 54.5 million light-years for Messier 86 out to roughly 66.6 million light-years for NGC 4473, a projection of the cluster’s three-dimensional depth onto the sky.
Nice to Know
- The chain’s gentle arc makes it one of the most rewarding wide-field mosaic targets in the spring sky, framing eight cataloged galaxies in a single sweep.
- Messier 86 (NGC 4406) shows a slightly blueshifted radial velocity of -306 km/s, meaning it is approaching us as it plunges through the Virgo Cluster — an unusual signature among the group’s members.
- The Eyes (Arp 120, NGC 4438) earned its nickname from its close pairing with NGC 4435, a striking interacting duo that rewards higher-resolution imaging of the tidal detail.
- The members straddle two constellations, with Messier 84 through NGC 4461 in Virgo and NGC 4473 and NGC 4477 crossing into Coma Berenices.
