Markarian chain
The Markarian chain is a collection of galaxies in the Virgo Cluster that is shaped like a slightly curved curve. It is named after the astrophysicist Benjamin Markarjan , who observed it intensively in the 1970s.
The Markarjan chain in the narrower sense includes the galaxies M 84 (NGC 4374), M 86 (NGC 4406), NGC 4435 , NGC 4438 , NGC 4461 , NGC 4473 and NGC 4477 . Some authors also add other galaxies such as NGC 4458 .
Except for NGC 4406, which approaches Earth at a radial speed of about 150 miles / second, the other galaxies are moving away from Earth at speeds of 70 to 2200 miles / second.
Astronomical data
The galaxies of the Markarian chain lie in an area with the celestial coordinates around the right ascension 12 h 28 m and the declination + 13 ° 10 ′, the extent is about 1.5 degrees.
| Surname | Right ascension | declination | Radial speed (km / s) |
Redshift | Brightness (visual) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NGC 4374 (M84) | 12 h 25 m 03.7 s | + 12 ° 53 ′ 13 ″ | 1060 | 0.003536 | 9.2 |
| NGC 4406 (M86) | 12 h 26 m 11.7 s | + 12 ° 56 ′ 46 ″ | −244 | −0.000814 | 8.9 |
| NGC 4435 | 12 h 27 m 40.5 s | + 13 ° 04 ′ 44 ″ | 801 | 0.002672 | 10.8 |
| NGC 4438 | 12 h 27 m 45.6 s | + 13 ° 00 ′ 32 ″ | 71 | 0.000237 | 10.0 |
| NGC 4461 | 12 h 29 m 03.0 s | + 13 ° 11 ′ 02 ″ | 1931 | 0.006441 | 11.1 |
| NGC 4473 | 12 h 29 m 48.9 s | + 13 ° 25 ′ 46 ″ | 2244 | 0.007485 | 10.2 |
| NGC 4477 | 12 h 30 m 02.2 s | + 13 ° 38 ′ 11 ″ | 1355 | 0.004520 | 10.4 |