Messier 58 (NGC 4579)
J2000 coordinates, Tully-Fisher distance (62.0 Mly), magnitude 9.65, anemic spiral disk, LINER/Seyfert core, and observing guide for Messier 58.
Provenance-Backed Scientific Measurements
Every measurement below preserves its unit, uncertainty interval, observational method, reference epoch, quality status, and primary catalog source. See Uncertainty & Provenance for how competing measurements are handled.
| Parameter | Value | Uncertainty | Method & Epoch | Quality Status | Source Archive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Integrated visual magnitude (V) | 9.65 mag | ± 0.1 mag | Integrated CCD aperture photometry | definitive | Revised New General Catalogue and Index Catalogue (RNGC/IC) |
| Distance in light-years | 62000000 ly | ± 4500000 ly | Infrared Tully-Fisher relation & Type II supernova expanding photosphere (19.0 ± 1.4 Mpc) | high-confidence | SIMBAD Astronomical Database (CDS) |
| Apparent major axis | 5.9 arcmin | ± 0.3 arcmin | Optical 25 mag/arcsec² isophotal dimensions (5.9′ × 4.7′) | definitive | Revised New General Catalogue and Index Catalogue (RNGC/IC) |
| Heliocentric recession velocity | 1517 km/s | ± 4 km/s | H I 21-cm and optical nuclear emission spectroscopy | definitive | SIMBAD Astronomical Database (CDS) |
J2000 Equatorial Sky Chart & Culmination Altitude
The chart below plots Messier 58 (NGC 4579 Barred Spiral in Virgo) at RA 12h 37m 43.52s, Dec +11° 49′ 05.1″ within Virgo, alongside peak meridian transit altitudes for 40°N and 30°S observers. Use the RA/Dec Coordinate Converter to compute exact culmination altitude for your latitude.
Astrophysical Context & Structure
Discovered by Charles Messier on April 15, 1779, on the same night he swept up neighboring M59 and M60, Messier 58 (NGC 4579) is one of only four barred spiral galaxies included in the Messier catalog (alongside M91, M95, and M109). Situated roughly 62 million light-years away in eastern Virgo, M58 spans an impressive ~106,000 light-years across its SAB(rs)b disk, making it comparable in physical diameter to the Milky Way.
Very Large Array 21-centimeter neutral-hydrogen maps reveal that M58 is a classic Virgo Cluster 'anemic spiral': ram-pressure interactions with the hot intracluster medium have stripped away most of the atomic hydrogen outside its inner star-forming ring. Consequently, vigorous massive star formation is confined within a bright inner ring surrounding the central bar, where two core-collapse supernovae have been recorded in modern times—Type II SN 1988A and Type Ib SN 1989M.
At the center of M58 sits an active supermassive black hole of roughly 70 million solar masses powering a low-ionization nuclear emission-line region (LINER / Seyfert 1.9 core) complete with compact parsec-scale radio jets and relativistic iron K-alpha X-ray emission from a radiatively inefficient accretion flow.
Practical Visual Observing Guide
- Located 1.5° west of M59 and 5.5° west of Vindemiatrix (ε Virginis) along the main east-west highway of the Virgo Cluster.
- In a 100–150 mm telescope at 60×–100×, M58 displays a bright, round central bulge with a pinpoint Seyfert nucleus.
- Under dark skies, a 250–300 mm (10–12 inch) aperture at 140×–180× reveals the elongated east-west bar (position angle ~60°) embedded in a mottled oval halo.
Catalog Cross-Identifications & Aliases
Common Aliases: M58 · NGC 4579 · UGC 7796 · PGC 42168
| Catalog Authority | Identifier |
|---|---|
| MESSIER | M 58 |
| NGC | NGC 4579 |
| SIMBAD | M 58 |
| WIKIDATA | Q13973 |
Related Objects, Comparisons & Guides
Messier 59 (NGC 4621 E5 Elliptical Galaxy)
J2000 coordinates, SBF distance (50.2 Mly), magnitude 9.60, counter-rotating core, inner stellar disk, and observing guide for Messier 59 in Virgo.
Messier 60 (NGC 4649 Giant Elliptical Pair)
J2000 coordinates, SBF distance (54.8 Mly), magnitude 8.80, 4.5-billion-M☉ black hole, NGC 4647 companion, and observing guide for Messier 60.
Messier 87 (Virgo A Giant Elliptical Galaxy)
Coordinates, distance (16.4 Mpc / 53.5 Mly), EHT 6.5-billion M☉ black hole M87*, relativistic jet, and observing guide for Messier 87.
Astronomical Catalogs Explained (M, NGC, Gaia)
How astronomical designations work across the Messier (M), NGC/IC, Bayer/Flamsteed, Henry Draper (HD), Hipparcos (HIP), and Gaia DR3 catalogs.
Surface Brightness & Extended Objects Guide
Why surface brightness (mag/arcsec²) governs nebula and galaxy visibility more than integrated magnitude, and how exit pupil controls eyepiece contrast.
Scientific Sources & Dataset Provenance
- Revised New General Catalogue and Index Catalogue (RNGC/IC) (2024/2026 edition): Steinicke, W. 2010, Observing and Cataloguing Nebulae and Star Clusters (Cambridge Univ. Press); Verga, M. OpenNGC (CC-BY-SA 4.0 / data tables) — Wolfgang Steinicke / OpenNGC
- SIMBAD Astronomical Database (CDS) (2026-10 release): Wenger, M., et al. 2000, A&AS, 143, 9 (The SIMBAD astronomical database) — Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg