Virgo Cluster of Galaxies

This image shows the heart of the Virgo cluster of galaxies which is centered some 54 million light years from Earth. The three largest galaxies are, from right to left, M84, M86 and M87. Comparing them to the spiral galaxies in the cluster it is clear that their status as giant ellipticals is well-deserved. M84 and M86 lie in Markarian’s Chain, the structure that curves up to the top left of the frame and whose members share a common motion. The pair of interacting galaxies at the center, NGC 4438 (lower) and NGC 4435 (upper) are known as Markarian’s Eyes. NGC 4438 exhibits a highly distorted disk and is known to trail filaments of ionized gas that extend to M86. The gas is suggestive of a past interaction between the two. At the bottom center of the frame note the elegant barred spiral galaxy, NGC 4440.

The image is a 3 hour exposure taken through a 5 inch telescope on the night of May 1^st, 2022 from Eustis Ridge. The faint details revealed in this dark sky image are comparible those seen in professional sky surveys.