M 86

This bright giant galaxy is either an elliptical of type E3 or a lenticular galaxy of type S0_1(3). It has a conspicuous system of faint globular clusters, suggestions of which can be just seen in the DSSM image of this galaxy. This system is far less populated than that of its giant neighbor to the SE, M87. To the lower left is a very small and faint dwarf elliptical companion. Several condensations may be found around this galaxy in our image, especially to the lower part, and the DSSm photo (here to the upper edge), they may be globular clusters belonging to this galaxy.

M86 lies well in the heart of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies and forms a most conspicuous group with another giant, M84. Below M86 in our image is NGC 4402, a dim (11.5 mag) edge-on spiral. This group may be viewed in one field even at medium power, so that it is often photographed and we have more images including M84 and M86.

This galaxy has the fastest approaching velocity, and thus the hughest blue shift, of all Messier galaxies (and thus objects): It is approaching us at 419 km/sec ! Holmberg has therefore speculated that it should be a close foreground galaxy and not a Virgo cluster member. However, the present author thinks it is just this high approach velocity which indicates that M86 is most probably a true cluster member, although this would indicate that it is moving at a peculiar velocity of more than 1500 km/sec, by chance in a direction pointing toward us. But this is not totally uncommon in huge clusters of galaxies as the Virgo cluster, because in the strong gravitational field of this huge agglomeration could easily accelerate it to the high velocity observed; it would be much more difficult to find an explanation for such a high velocity for a field galaxy !

The Virgo cluster membership of M86 is also suggested by an apparent interaction with the intergalactic gaseous matter in the Virgo cluster, which was reported from radio observations. Moeover, M86 does not hold the record: Another Virgo cluster member, IC 3258, approaches us at 517 km/sec.

Right ascension	12 : 23.7 (hours : minutes)
Declination	+13 : 13 (degrees : minutes)
Distance	70000.0 (light-years*10^3)
Visual magnitude	9.7