Virgo Cluster; Virgo
Astro-Physics 155 EDF f/7 refractor
ST-8XE; Lum 120 min.
March 23, 2004; Inkom, ID
Comment: This image captures only a small part of this famous galactic cluster. The two most prominent galaxies seen are M84 and M86. Both are giant elliptical galaxies. I find elliptical galaxies to be the hardest to capture. Although they are bright, and readily appear on even short exposures, the lack of defining features such as arms or dust lanes makes them less than photogenic. Their distance is 55 million light years. To see the galaxies and thier identifications, place your mouse over the image and you will see the inverted image. To see a wider view of this region called Markarian's chain click here.
