Messier 89, also cataloged as NGC 4552, is a lenticular galaxy that presents a smooth, nearly featureless glow to the imager, making it an appealing but subtle target within the crowded Virgo galaxy region. Shining at an apparent magnitude of 9.75 and spanning an angular size of 4.4′ × 3.9′, it is compact enough to fit comfortably in the field of most telescopes yet bright enough to capture with modest exposure times. Its fairly high surface brightness of about 21.5 mag/arcsec² helps its rounded core stand out cleanly against the background sky, so short subs already reveal a well-defined nucleus. Longer integrations under dark skies can begin to tease out the faint extended halo that surrounds this galaxy’s compact central disk.
Names and Catalog numbers
- M 89 (Messier 89)
- NGC 4552
- UGC 7760
- PGC 41968
Position and the cosmic neighborhood
Messier 89 sits at right ascension 12h 35m 39.8s and declination +12° 33′ 23″, placing it squarely within the rich heart of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies. This location makes it an ideal member of a wide-field mosaic, as numerous other Messier and NGC galaxies crowd the surrounding degrees of sky, offering the astrophotographer the chance to frame several island universes in a single composition. With its home constellation Virgo climbing high in the spring sky, the region is well positioned for extended imaging sessions, and careful framing lets M 89 anchor a portrait of the densely populated Virgo neighborhood.
Nice to Know
- Messier 89 is a lenticular galaxy, giving it a smooth, elliptical-like appearance without the dramatic spiral arms that many imagers seek — a challenge that rewards patient processing.
- Its physical diameter measures roughly 80,200 light-years, comparable in scale to many large galaxies despite its modest angular footprint.
- At a distance of about 63.2 million light-years, its light left the galaxy long before it reached today’s camera sensors, underscoring the deep-time nature of the image.
- It carries multiple catalog identities — Messier 89, NGC 4552, PGC 41968, and UGC 7760 — reflecting its long history as a well-studied Virgo Cluster member.
Brightness, distance and size
The object has an apparent magnitude of 9.8 mag, it lies about 63.2 million light-years from Earth and spans roughly 80,200 light-years across. On the sky it appears about 4.4′ × 3.9′ in size.
