Messier 85 happens to be one of the brightest galaxies among the Como-Virgo cluster and is best viewed in May. So if you are a backyard astronomer fighting light pollution, be sure to give this object a try.
Category Archives: Galaxies
Messier 84 (NGC 4374): A Cotton Ball in a Field of Many
Messier 84 (M84), also designated as NGC 4374, lies in the springtime sky amongst the plethora of viewable galaxies in Virgo. Using a small scope, one can also find it among the array of galaxies in the Virgo Cluster and the stretch of galaxies in Markarian’s Chain. It looks a faint smudge in small to mid-sized scopes from the backyard.
NGC 6885 (Caldwell 37): A Cluster with a Shining Star Center
NGC 6885, also known as Caldwell 37, is a star cluster in the constellation Vulpecula and best viewed in summer or early autumn.
Messier 104 (NGC 4594): The Stunning Sombrero Galaxy
We view this stunning galaxy almost edge-on. In this lair of light lives a supermassive black hole.
Messier 60 (NGC 4649): Hubble’s Fastest Moving Galaxy
Messier 60 is a giant elliptical galaxy in the Virgo constellation. It’s best viewed in spring. According to NASA, M60 has a diameter of 120,000 light-years and is as massive as one trillion suns. At its center is a supermassive black hole with a mass 4.5 billion times that of our sun. It’s easy toContinueContinue reading “Messier 60 (NGC 4649): Hubble’s Fastest Moving Galaxy”
Messier 86 (NGC 4406): A Galaxy Not Running Away
Astronomers are unsure which is the best description for Messier 86 as it falls between an elliptical or a lenticular galaxy. It resides in the Virgo constellation and is best viewed in spring. As I mentioned in my post on Messier 60, the galaxies in Virgo played an essential role in Edwin Hubble’s research inContinueContinue reading “Messier 86 (NGC 4406): A Galaxy Not Running Away”
Messier 94 (NGC 4736): The Cat’s Eye Galaxy
Messier 94 is a spiral galaxy with two distinct rings. It also continues to perplex astronomers as it has little to no dark matter.
Messier 64 (NGC 4826): The Black Eye Galaxy
As NASA points out, M64, or the Black Eye galaxy, is characterized by its bizarre internal motion. The gas in the outer regions of this remarkable galaxy is rotating in the opposite direction from the gas and stars in its inner regions.