Galaxies · Constellation Virgo

Messier 86 (NGC 4406)

J2000 coordinates, SBF distance (55.4 Mly), magnitude 8.90, −244 km/s blueshift, ram-pressure X-ray plume, and observing guide for Messier 86 in Virgo.

Right Ascension (J2000.0)12h 26m 11.74s
Declination (J2000.0)+12° 56′ 45.5″
Primary ClassificationGiant E3/S0 galaxy plunging through the Virgo Cluster core at supersonic speed
Best Observing SeasonSpring (March–June)

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.

Astrometric, Photometric, and Physical Parameters for Messier 86 (NGC 4406)
ParameterValueUncertaintyMethod & EpochQuality StatusSource Archive
Integrated visual magnitude (V)8.9 mag± 0.08 magIntegrated CCD aperture photometrydefinitiveRevised New General Catalogue and Index Catalogue (RNGC/IC)
Distance in light-years55400000 ly± 1800000 lyHST ACS Virgo Cluster Survey surface-brightness fluctuations (17.0 ± 0.55 Mpc)definitiveSH0ES Local Distance Ladder Hubble Constant
Apparent major axis8.9 arcmin± 0.4 arcminOptical isophotal dimensions (8.9′ × 5.8′)definitiveRevised New General Catalogue and Index Catalogue (RNGC/IC)
Heliocentric radial velocity-244 km/s± 5 km/sOptical absorption spectroscopy (highest blueshift of any Messier galaxy after M31)definitiveSIMBAD Astronomical Database (CDS)
Measurement Uncertainties & Competing Solutions: Because M86 is falling toward us through the Virgo Cluster potential at ~1,350 km/s relative to the cluster mean, Hubble-law redshift cannot be used for its distance; HST SBF star-count fluctuations determine its true distance as 17.0 ± 0.55 Mpc (55.4 ± 1.8 Mly).

J2000 Equatorial Sky Chart & Culmination Altitude

The chart below plots Messier 86 (NGC 4406 Blueshifted Lenticular) at RA 12h 26m 11.74s, Dec +12° 56′ 45.5″ 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.

J2000 Equatorial Sky Position (Virgo) +90° 0° −90° 24h 12h RA 0h Peak Meridian Altitude 63° 40°N Lat 47° 30°S Lat RA: 12h 26m 11.74s Dec: +12° 56′ 45.5″ Epoch: J2000.0 · V = 8.9 mag First-party vector diagram derived from IAU / CDS SIMBAD / Gaia DR3 astrometry.

Astrophysical Context & Structure

Discovered by Charles Messier on March 18, 1781, right alongside its neighbor M84 just 17 arcminutes to the west, Messier 86 (NGC 4406) is a giant E3 elliptical or lenticular galaxy dominating the western head of Markarian's Chain from a distance of 55.4 million light-years. Spanning roughly 140,000 light-years across and surrounded by ~3,800 globular clusters, M86 is slightly larger and 0.2 magnitudes brighter than M84.

Spectroscopically, M86 is one of the most extreme objects in the local universe: even though it resides 55.4 million light-years away inside the receding Virgo Cluster (whose average recession velocity is +1,100 km/s), M86 displays a heliocentric blueshift of −244 km/s! Dynamically accelerated by the immense gravitational well of the Virgo Cluster, M86 is plunging from the far side of the cluster almost directly toward the Milky Way at an astonishing relative velocity of ~1,350 km/s.

As M86 screams supersonically through the Virgo intracluster medium, intense ram pressure strips a 380,000-light-year-long tail of superheated X-ray gas behind the galaxy (mapped by Chandra and XMM-Newton), while H-alpha filaments also link M86 to the tidally disturbed spiral NGC 4438 ('The Eyes') 23 arcminutes to its east.

Practical Visual Observing Guide

Minimum Instrument70–80 mm telescope (10×50 binoculars under dark skies)
Recommended Magnification45×–90× for Markarian's Chain; 120×+ for nearby NGC companions
Best Evening SeasonSpring (March–June)
  • Paired with M84 (17′ WSW) at the heart of the Virgo Cluster; in any telescope at 40×–70×, M86 is the larger, slightly more oval eastern member of the pair.
  • A 150–250 mm telescope frames M86 and M84 with edge-on spirals NGC 4402 (just 10′ north of M86) and NGC 4388 (15′ south) plus the interacting pair NGC 4435/4438 ('The Eyes') 23′ east.

Catalog Cross-Identifications & Aliases

Common Aliases: M86 · NGC 4406 · UGC 7532 · PGC 40653

Cross-Catalog Identifiers for Messier 86 (NGC 4406)
Catalog AuthorityIdentifier
MESSIERM 86
NGCNGC 4406
SIMBADM 86
WIKIDATAQ14036
Related Object · Virgo

Messier 84 (NGC 4374 Markarian Chain Core)

J2000 coordinates, SBF distance (54.8 Mly), magnitude 9.10, western Markarian's Chain anchor, twin radio jets, and observing guide for Messier 84.

Related Object · Virgo

Messier 90 (NGC 4569 Ram-Stripped Spiral)

J2000 coordinates, distance (53.8 Mly), magnitude 9.52, −235 km/s blueshift, truncated H II disk, IC 3583 companion, and observing guide for Messier 90.

Reference Guide

Proper Motion, Radial Velocity & Redshift

How astronomers combine tangential proper motion (mas/yr), Doppler radial velocity (km/s), and cosmological redshift (z) to reconstruct 3D space motion.

Reference Guide

Angular Size, Separation & Field of View

How angular diameter (degrees, arcminutes, arcseconds), spherical angular separation, and small-angle physical diameter relate to telescope field of view.

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
  • SH0ES Local Distance Ladder Hubble Constant (2022 Baseline Cepheid + SN Ia): Riess, A. G., et al. 2022, ApJL, 934, L7 (A Comprehensive Measurement of the Local Value of the Hubble Constant) — SH0ES Collaboration (HST / JWST)
  • 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