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Messier 59, as seen by hubble acs
Hubble · Messier 59 · ESA/Hubble & NASA, P. Cote

Messier 59

Galaxy in Virgo · 60 million light-years

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TypeGalaxy
ConstellationVirgo
Right ascension12h 42m 02s
Declination+11° 39′
Object distance60 million light-years
Apparent magnitude9.6
Apparent size4.5′ (arc-minutes)
Approx. true diameter78,540 light-years across
Also known asM59 · NGC 4621
Messier 59 is a galaxy (also catalogued as NGC 4621) in the constellation Virgo — an island of billions of stars far beyond our own Milky Way. It was recorded by Charles Messier in his famous catalogue of 110 deep-sky objects. It spans roughly 4.5 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 9.6, it shows up well in a small backyard telescope.

Although it appears about 4.5′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 78,540 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.

Observing Messier 59

Messier 59 lies in the constellation Virgo and is best placed in the evening sky around March. Its maximum altitude above the horizon depends on your latitude. Lying near the celestial equator, it can be seen from both hemispheres. A small backyard telescope will show it; binoculars may hint at it under dark skies. Note that the listed magnitude is spread across the whole object — diffuse galaxies and nebulae are often harder to see than the number alone suggests, so dark, moonless skies help a great deal.

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Sources

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