Messier 86 stands out in astrophotography with its bright core and smooth elliptical shape, making it a rewarding target for deep-sky imaging. The galaxy is notable for its rare blue shift, moving toward us at 244 km/s while most galaxies in the Virgo Cluster are moving away. It forms a visually striking pair with nearby M84, often captured together in wide-field images of the Virgo Cluster. M86’s interaction with surrounding galaxies creates interesting features like stellar streams and gas filaments that add depth to astrophotos.
Names and Catalog numbers
- Messier 86
- NGC 4406
- PGC 40653
- UGC 7532
Position and the cosmic neighborhood
M86 lies at the heart of the Virgo Cluster, forming part of the famous Markarian’s Chain of galaxies. It appears just 17 arcminutes from its companion M84, with both galaxies fitting comfortably in the same telescope field of view. The surrounding region contains numerous other bright galaxies including M87, making this one of the richest areas for galaxy imaging in the northern sky. Its position near the Virgo-Coma Berenices border places it in an excellent location for springtime observation.
Nice to Know
- M86 shows the highest blue shift of any Messier object, moving toward us at 244 km/s.
- The galaxy contains about 3,800 globular clusters, visible as point sources in deep images.
- It’s undergoing ram-pressure stripping, leaving behind a spectacular trail of hot gas.
- M86 is connected to NGC 4438 by filaments of ionized gas, creating dramatic astrophoto opportunities.
Brightness, distance and size
Messier 86 has an apparent magnitude of 8.9 and spans 8.9 × 5.8 arcminutes in the sky, corresponding to a physical size of about 135,000 light-years across. Located 52 million light-years away, its bright core and extended halo make it accessible to amateur telescopes, while its large angular size provides excellent detail for imagers using medium focal length instruments.
