Right ascension 12 26 11.7 Type S0(3)/E3 Distance to Earth 51.86 million light years | Declination +12° 56′ 46″ Apparent size (V) 8′.9 × 5′.8 Magnitude 8.9 Apparent magnitude (V) 8.9 | |
Redshift -0.000814 ± 0.000017 (-244 ± 5 km/s) Notable features displays a rare blue shift Coordinates RA 12h 26m 12s | Dec +12° 56′ 46″ Similar Messier 84, Messier 85, Messier 89, Messier 88, Messier 90 | ||
Messier 86 first magnitude by sister sue preview
Messier 86 (also known as M86 or NGC 4406) is an elliptical or lenticular galaxy in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1781. M86 lies in the heart of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies and forms a most conspicuous group with another giant, Lenticular Galaxy M84. It displays the highest blue shift of all Messier objects, as it is approaching the Milky Way at 244 km/s. This is due to its falling towards the center of the Virgo cluster from the opposite side, which causes it to move in the direction of the Milky Way.
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Messier 86 is linked by several filaments of ionized gas to the severely disrupted spiral galaxy NGC 4438 and shows some gas and interstellar dust that may have been stripped, as well as the gas on those filaments, of it. It is suffering ram-pressure stripping as it moves at high speed through Virgo's intracluster medium, losing its interstellar medium as it moves through it leaving behind a very long trail of hot gas.
Messier 86 has a rich system of globular clusters, with a total number of around 3,800. Its halo also has a number of stellar streams interpreted as remmants of dwarf galaxies that have been disrupted and absorbed by this galaxy
In popular culture
In the TV show Andromeda, M86 is cited as being the origin of the Magog invasion of the three galaxies in the season 2 opener "The Widening Gyre".