The Virgo Galaxy, also cataloged as Messier 87 and NGC 4486, is a bright elliptical galaxy that shines at magnitude 8.63, making it a rewarding target for astrophotographers with modest apertures. With an angular size of 6.3′ it presents as a smooth, rounded glow that responds well to longer integration times, revealing a bright core surrounded by a soft, extended halo. Its fairly high surface brightness of 21.1513 mag/arcsec² helps it stand out against the sky, though careful gradient control is important given the crowded field it inhabits. Deep exposures and precise processing can begin to hint at the galaxy’s famous relativistic jet emerging from the nucleus, a prized detail for dedicated imagers.
Names and Catalog numbers
- Virgo Galaxy
- M 87 (Messier 87)
- NGC 4486
- UGC 7654
- PGC 41361
- Arp 152
Position and the cosmic neighborhood
Located at right ascension 12h 30m 49.42s and declination +12° 23′ 28.0″, the Virgo Galaxy sits near the heart of the sprawling Virgo Cluster, one of the richest concentrations of galaxies accessible to amateur astrophotographers. This makes it an anchor point when framing wide-field mosaics of the region, where numerous other galaxies of the cluster crowd into the same field of view. Its position high in the spring sky offers excellent altitude for observers at mid-northern latitudes, allowing long imaging sessions with minimal atmospheric interference. The surrounding star field is relatively sparse, so the galaxy and its neighbors dominate the frame.
Nice to Know
- The Virgo Galaxy is a Seyfert galaxy, hosting an active nucleus that makes it a scientifically celebrated deep-sky target.
- It spans roughly 118,000 light-years across, a scale comparable to our own Milky Way, yet appears as a compact 6.3′ glow due to its distance.
- The galaxy carries multiple designations, including Messier 87, NGC 4486, Arp 152, and UGC 7654, reflecting its prominence across many catalogs.
- Long, deep exposures can capture the galaxy’s iconic jet streaming from the core, a rare and prized feature for astrophotographers.
Brightness, distance and size
The object has an apparent magnitude of 8.6 mag, it lies about 64.4 million light-years from Earth and spans roughly 118,000 light-years across. On the sky it appears about 6.3′ in size.
