M84 and M86 are a pair of elliptical galaxies at the heart of the Virgo galaxy cluster. I begin the hop to this grouping at 2nd magnitude Denebola in Leo. A T-shaped asterism of five 5th and 6th magnitude stars stands about 7.5 degrees east of Denebola. The brightest member of the asterism is 6 Comae Berenices. Slew from Denebola to the T asterism. Its wingspan is about 2-degrees and should be easily recognizeable through a 6X30 or 8X50 finder scope. The top two stars in the stem point the way to M84 and M86, 2.5 degrees to the southeast.
| Spring Sky Tour: M84 & M86 (Virgo) |
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| M84: SO-Type Galaxy (Virgo) RA: 12h 25.1m / DEC: +12° 53'.3 |
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| M86: Elliptical Galaxy (Virgo) RA: 12h 26.2m / DEC: +12° 57'.0 |
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Revised: February 15, 2002 [WDF]
Higher magnification reveals subtle differences between M84 and M86. M84 displays a bright, stellar core at 189X in the 10-inch. This is captured in the drawing at right. There is a gradual but steady fade in brightness from the core to the outer edge of this 3' diameter SO-type galaxy.
Nearby M86 is an elliptical galaxy in the Hubble scheme. It also features a bright, condensed core. However, M86 is oval in appearance, 4'x2'.5 in dimension. Also, M86 does not gradually fade into the sky background. The core appears surrounded by a 45" diameter zone. This core zone is, itself, surround by a 1' diameter region of almost uniform brightness. The outer nebulosity is quite subtle and gradually fades into the sky.