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M60 and NGC 4647
Hubble · Messier 60 · NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration

Messier 60

Galaxy in Virgo · 55 million light-years

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TypeGalaxy
ConstellationVirgo
Right ascension12h 43m 40s
Declination+11° 33′
Object distance55 million light-years
Apparent magnitude8.8
Apparent size6.8′ (arc-minutes)
Approx. true diameter108,792 light-years across
Also known asM60 · NGC 4649
Messier 60 is a galaxy (also catalogued as NGC 4649) 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 6.8 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 8.8, it shows up well in a small backyard telescope.

Although it appears about 6.8′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 108,792 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.

Observing Messier 60

Messier 60 lies in the constellation Virgo and is best placed in the evening sky around April. 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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