Sections

Catalogues

Show the direction and distance to this galaxy on the Galactic Map.

Proper Name	None
Messier Number	M85
NGC/IC Number	NGC 4382
Constellation	Coma Berenices
Right Ascension	12h 25m 24s
Declination	+18° 11' 28"
Distance	c.51,700,000 light years c.15,900,000 parsecs
Magnitude	Apparent: +9.0 Absolute: -22.2
Diameter	Apparent: 7.0' Actual: c.117,000 light years
Hubble Type	S0-a Lenticular
Optimum Visibility	April
Notes	The structure of M85 places it on the border between the lenticular and elliptical galaxy forms, and it is potentially in the process of transitioning from one form into the other. Details of its structure imply that the galaxy as it appears today resulted from two galaxies merging with one another several billion years in the past.

A galaxy of lenticular form, a little smaller than our own Milky Way. It lies more than fifty million light years directly 'upwards' from our Galactic disc.

The lenticular galaxy M85 on the fringes of the Virgo Cluster. To the east in this view is the smaller barred spiral NGC 4394, which may be a companion galaxy to M85, though it appears to lie somewhat closer to the Milky Way. Imagery provided by Aladin sky atlas

;

v2.1g