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A fuzzy, bright-white oval of light that dims the farther you move away from its bright center.
Hubble · Messier 86 · ESA/Hubble & NASA, P. Cote et al.

Messier 86

Galaxy in Virgo · 52 million light-years

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TypeGalaxy
ConstellationVirgo
Right ascension12h 26m 12s
Declination+12° 57′
Object distance52 million light-years
Apparent magnitude8.9
Apparent size11.5′ (arc-minutes)
Approx. true diameter173,951 light-years across
Also known asM86 · NGC 4406
Messier 86 is a galaxy (also catalogued as NGC 4406) 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 11.5 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 8.9, it shows up well in a small backyard telescope.

Although it appears about 11.5′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 173,951 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.

Observing Messier 86

Messier 86 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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