Andromeda
Log inJoin

Galaxy

Messier 86

Also M86 · NGC 4406

Open in OuranosCompare its size

A large elliptical or lenticular galaxy in the Virgo Cluster, falling through it at high speed.

Measured

Distance
55.6 million light-years
Size
about 170,000 light-years across (approximate)
Constellation
Virgo
Position (J2000)
RA 12h 26m 12s, Dec +12.95°

How far, from the Sun

55.6 million light-years. To cross it:

  • Light55.6 million years
  • Voyager 1's speed989 billion years
  • Driving at 100 km/h600 trillion years

Voyager 1 at the speed it moved outward over the year to 2026-10-25 (JPL Horizons). Driving: nonstop, never refuelling.

Facts

  • It is part of Markarian's Chain, next to Messier 84 on the sky.
  • It is moving TOWARDS us at about 220 km/s (NASA/IPAC NED; a Subaru study gives −244 ± 5 km/s, arXiv 1208.2093) — one of the few galaxies outside the Local Group that are.

Where this comes from

  • Cosmicflows-3, Tully, Courtois & Sorce 2016, AJ 152, 50 (17.06 Mpc)
  • This research has made use of the SIMBAD database, CDS, Strasbourg, France (Wenger et al. 2000, A&AS 143, 9).
  • This research has made use of the VizieR catalogue access tool, CDS, Strasbourg, France (DOI: 10.26093/cds/vizier).

Every catalogue Ouranos draws is credited on the credits page.