Markarian's Chain
The Markarian Chain is an elongated group that forms part of the Virgo galaxy cluster. From our perspective, they appear to be lined up on a gentle curve.
History
On 5 May 1779, the German astronomer Johan Gottfried Köhler was the first to encounter the two brightest galaxies, which became known as M 84 and M 86 after the independent discovery by Charles Messier on 18 March 1781. Messier wrote about M 84: «Nebula without a star, in the virgin; the centre is a little brilliant, surrounded by a light nebulosity: the brightness and appearance are somewhat reminiscent of that of No. 59 and No. 60.» About M 86 he wrote: «Nebulae without a star, in the Virgo, on the parallel and right next to the previous nebula No. 84. They look alike and are both visible in the same field of view of the telescope.» [281]
About 23 arc minutes east of M 86 is the pair of galaxies NGC 4435 and NGC 4438, also known as «The Eyes» or «Eyes Galaxies». They were discovered on 8 April 1784 by William Herschel. Halton Arp listed these two closely related galaxies as No. 120 in his 1966 Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies. [199]
Physical Properties
Both galaxies M 84 and M 86 are elliptical galaxies of the morphological type E-E/S0. M 84 is a Seyfert 2 galaxy and is therefore very active. Distance measurements of the two galaxies range from 16.8 Mpc to 19.2 Mpc (cs. 55 to 62 million light years). [145]
In the pair of galaxies «The Eyes» (NGC 4435 and NGC 4438) the deformation of NGC 4438 (the larger of the two galaxies) is distinctive. It probably does not go back to NGC 4435, but to an early collision with M 86, which must have hit it with great force. Long-term images show filaments of ionized hydrogen gas between the two galaxies. [286] See Fig. 2.
| Name | RA | Dec | Type | bMag | vMag | B-V | SB | Dim | PA | z | D(z) | MD | Dreyer Description | Identification, Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NGC 4374 | 12 25 03.6 | +12 53 13 | Gx (E1) | 10.1 | 9.1 | 1.0 | 13.0 | 6.5 × 5.6 | 135 | 0.003536 | 14.94 | 16.840 | vB, pL, R, psbM, r | h 1237; GC 2930; M 84; UGC 7494; MCG 2-32-34; VCC 763; 3C 272.1; CGCG 70-58; IRAS 12224+1309; Markarian chain |
| NGC 4406 | 12 26 11.5 | +12 56 47 | Gx (E3) | 9.8 | 8.9 | 0.9 | 13.2 | 8.9 × 5.8 | 130 | -0.000814 | 16.200 | vB, L, R, gbMN, r | h 1253; GC 2961; M 86; UGC 7532; MCG 2-32-46; CGCG 70-72; VCC 881; Markarian chain | |
| NGC 4435 | 12 27 40.5 | +13 04 47 | Gx (SB0) | 11.7 | 10.8 | 0.9 | 12.5 | 3 × 2.2 | 13 | 0.002672 | 11.29 | 16.230 | vB, cL, R, np of 2 | WH I 28, 1; h 1274; GC 2991; UGC 7575; MCG 2-32-64; CGCG 70-98; VV 188; Arp 120; VCC 1030; IRAS 12251+1321; The Eyes, Markarian chain |
| NGC 4438 | 12 27 45.6 | +13 00 31 | Gx (S0-a) | 11.0 | 10.2 | 0.8 | 13.6 | 8.5 × 3 | 27 | 0.000237 | 1.00 | 13.950 | B, cL, vlE, r, sf of 2 | WH I 28, 2; h 1275; GC 2994; UGC 7574; MCG 2-32-65; CGCG 70-97; VV 188; Arp 120; VCC 1043; IRAS 12252+1317; The Eyes, Markarian chain |
| NGC 4458 | 12 28 57.7 | +13 14 32 | Gx (E1) | 12.9 | 12.1 | 0.8 | 13.2 | 1.6 × 1.5 | 45 | 0.002118 | 8.95 | 16.790 | pB, S, R, bM, p of 2 | WH II 121; h 1287; GC 3010; UGC 7610; MCG 2-32-82; CGCG 70-114; VCC 1146; Markarian chain |
| NGC 4461 | 12 29 02.9 | +13 11 04 | Gx (SB0-a) | 12.1 | 11.2 | 0.9 | 12.8 | 3.4 × 1.4 | 9 | 0.006441 | 27.21 | 16.800 | pF, S, R, bM, f of 2 | WH II 122, II 174; h 1290; GC 3013; NGC 4443; UGC 7613; MCG 2-32-84; CGCG 70-115; VCC 1158; Markarian chain |
| NGC 4473 | 12 29 48.7 | +13 25 47 | Gx (E5) | 11.2 | 10.2 | 1.0 | 12.8 | 4.5 × 2.5 | 94 | 0.007485 | 31.62 | 15.860 | pB | WH II 114; GC 3030; UGC 7631; MCG 2-32-93; CGCG 70-125; VCC 1231; Markarian chain |
| NGC 4477 | 12 30 02.0 | +13 38 13 | Gx (SB0) | 11.4 | 10.4 | 1.0 | 13.1 | 3.7 × 3.3 | 9 | 0.004520 | 19.09 | 16.800 | pB, cL | WH II 115; GC 3025; UGC 7638; MCG 2-32-97; CGCG 70-129; VCC 1253; IRAS 12275+1354; Markarian chain |
Further Galaxies in the Area
The following galaxies shown on the location map do not officially belong to the Markarian chain, but just happen to be in roughly the same viewing direction: NGC 4387, NGC 4388, NGC 4413, NGC 4479, NGC 4402, NGC 4425.
| Name | RA | Dec | Type | bMag | vMag | B-V | SB | Dim | PA | z | D(z) | MD | Dreyer Description | Identification, Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NGC 4387 | 12 25 41.7 | +12 48 37 | Gx (E4) | 13.0 | 12.1 | 0.9 | 12.8 | 1.7 × 1.1 | 140 | 0.001574 | 6.65 | 17.710 | pF, vS, R, * 13 90" np, np of 2 | WH II 167; h 1250; GC 2955; UGC 7517; MCG 2-32-39; CGCG 70-65; VCC 828 |
| NGC 4388 | 12 25 46.9 | +12 39 43 | Gx (Sb) | 11.8 | 11.0 | 0.8 | 13.0 | 5.6 × 1.5 | 92 | 0.008419 | 35.56 | 18.220 | vF, E, sf of 2 | WH II 168; h 1244; GC 2949=2956; UGC 7520; MCG 2-32-41; CGCG 70-68; VCC 836; IRAS 12232+1256 |
| NGC 4402 | 12 26 07.8 | +13 06 47 | Gx (Sb) | 12.6 | 11.8 | 0.8 | 13.2 | 3.9 × 1.1 | 90 | 0.000774 | 3.27 | 16.720 | F, L, mE 90° (Auw 30) | GC 2965; UGC 7528; MCG 2-32-44; CGCG 70-71; VCC 873; IRAS 12235+1323 |
| NGC 4413 | 12 26 32.1 | +12 36 37 | Gx (SBab) | 12.7 | 11.9 | 0.8 | 13.0 | 2.3 × 1.4 | 60 | 0.000340 | 1.44 | 16.680 | cF, S, gbM, 2 st n, np | WH II 169; h 1259; GC 2974; NGC 4407; UGC 7538; MCG 2-32-49; IRAS 12239+1253; VCC 912; CGCG 70-76 |
| NGC 4425 | 12 27 13.3 | +12 44 05 | Gx (SB0-a) | 12.7 | 11.8 | 0.9 | 12.9 | 2.8 × 1 | 27 | 0.006224 | 26.29 | 16.800 | pF, S, R, bM | WH II 170; h 1267; GC 2983; UGC 7562; MCG 2-32-59; CGCG 70-91; VCC 984 |
| NGC 4479 | 12 30 18.3 | +13 34 41 | Gx (SB0) | 13.4 | 12.4 | 1.0 | 13.1 | 1.6 × 1.3 | 24 | 0.002922 | 12.34 | 17.950 | pB, pL | WH II 116; GC 3029; UGC 7646; MCG 2-32-100; CGCG 70-134; VCC 1283 |
Finder Chart
The Markarian chain is located in the constellation Virgo. Extend the imaginary line from the stars Chertan (θ Leonis) to Denebola (β Leonis) by the same amount. The two galaxies M 84 and M 86 are located there. The chain continues in a slight arc to the north and to the east. It's easy to get lost in the Virgo Cluster for all the galaxies. On 28 March it is in opposition to the Sun and crosses the meridian at local midnight. The best observation time is November to September.
