Galaxies in Coma Berenices
Messier 85 has been classified either as an elliptical galaxy or a lenticular galaxy. At first glance it does have the typical smooth appearance of an elliptical, but on closer inspection it appears to have faint and short arms extending in the north-south direction. It is a member of the Coma-Virgo Cluster of galaxies.
Just 7 arcminutes to the east (left) of M85 is the barred spiral galaxy NGC 4394.
| Magnitude | 9.1 |
| Apparent Size | 7.1' x 5.5' |
| Distance (light yrs) | 58 million |
| Right Ascension | 12:25.4 |
| Declination | +18 11 |
| Field of View | 29' x 22' |
Image details: Exposure times of 90 minutes luminance and 30 minutes each of red, green and blue, taken with an SBIG ST-8300M imager and a 12" Meade LX850 telescope at f/6.
April 2018