Makarian's Chain in Virgo

clic for 50% size 1225 x 1072 (271 kB)

 

About this Image

The Virgo Cluster with its some 2000 member galaxies dominates our intergalactic neighborhood at a distance of 60 million light years;

The image shows the central portion of the Virgo Cluster of Galaxies, and is dominated by the giant elliptical galaxiy M87 at left. The two bright ellyptical galaxies dominating the center are M84 and M86; they are followed to the left by a pair of distorted galaxies, see below. Starting from these a chain of galaxies ("Markarian's chain") stretches well to the upper left side of this image;

Below you see a crop on the famous distorted galaxy pair - The Eyes - (NGC4438 and NGC4435 ) in 100% size.




Technical Details
Optics

16" cassegrain in corrected prime focus at f/3

Mount MK-100 GEM
Camera SBIG STL-11000M at -30C, internal filter wheel
Filters Astronomik LRGB
Date Mar 12-13, 2005.
Location Wildon/Austria
Sky Conditions mag 5 sky, temperature 0 C
Exposure L:R:G:B = 130:40:40:40 minutes (10-minute sub-exposures).
Processing Image aquisition in Maxim DL 4, calibration, stacking, DDP in ImagesPlus; Curves, hiogh pass filter, color balance in Photoshop; cropped, size 20/50/100%; north is up;