M 87 (NGC 4486, Arp 152) Galaxy in Virgo

Located at: RA 12 hours 30 minutes 50 seconds, Dec +12 degrees 23 minutes 24 seconds

Size: 7.4' x 6.0'; Magnitude: 9.6 blue; Class: E+0-1 pec

North is up

West to the right

Telescope:

 8" f5 Newtonian reflector
Camera:

 ST-8XME, self-guided, binned 1x1, temp -25c, camera control MaxIm DL 4.56
Image:

Lumicon Deep Sky filter, 350 minutes (35 x 10 minute subs), 05/2/3/10/2008; seeing 2.3-4.9 FWHM per CCDStack
Processing:

CCDStack 1.3.2, Photoshop 7.0
Location:

 Rolling Roof Observatory, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 (+34d 13m 29s -118h 52m 20s)
Notes: M 87 is one of the largest galaxies known, and is the nearest example of a galaxy with a super massive black hole at its center. See one 10 minute sub image log stretched and cropped to show the jet of material being ejected by the black hole.

The three small galaxies in a line below M 87 are (West to East) NGC 4476 (1.7'x1.1', 13.0b mag, Cl:SA(r)0-:), NGC 4478 (1.9'x1.6', 12.4b mag, Cl:E2) and NGC 4486A (=UGC 7658, 1.1'x0.8', 13.5 mag, Cl:E2).

From the NGC / IC Project:

Contemporary Visual Observation(s) for NGC 4486
NGC 4486 = M87 = U07654 = MCG +02-32-105 = CGCG 070-139 = Virgo A = 3C 274 = Arp 
152 = PGC 41361
12 30 49.7 +12 23 28
V = 8.6;  Size 7.2x6.8;  SB = 13.0

17.5": very bright, fairly large, gradually increases to a very bright core, no 
sharp nucleus.  A very compact galaxy N4486A = U07658 lies 7' S.

13": very bright, intense core, fairly smooth halo.

- by Steve Gottlieb
Contemporary Visual Observation(s) for NGC 4476
NGC 4476 = UGC 07637 = MCG +02-32-096 = PGC 41255
12 29 59.1 +12 20 55
V = 12.2;  Size 1.7x1.2;  SB = 12.8;  PA = 25d

17.5": fairly faint, small, elongated SSW-NNE, small brighter core.  Forms a 
pair with N4478 4.7' ESE.  Located 12' W of M87 in the Virgo cluster.

13": faint, elongated, weak concentration.

- by Steve Gottlieb
Contemporary Visual Observation(s) for NGC 4478
NGC 4478 = UGC 07645 = MCG +02-32-099 = PGC 41297
12 30 17.4 +12 19 43
V = 11.4;  Size 1.9x1.6;  SB = 12.7;  PA = 140d

17.5": fairly bright, fairly small, slightly elongated NW-SE, brighter core.  
Forms a pair with N4476 4.7' WNW.  Located 9' WSW of M87.

13": fairly bright, slightly elongated NW-SE, weak concentration.

- by Steve Gottlieb
The NGC / IC Project does not recognize UGC 7658 as "NGC 4486A".