ScienceDownEast | ScienceDownEast Astrophotography | Recent Images | NGC 4438 (Markarian's Chain)
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Markarian's Chain is a striking string of roughly eight galaxies stretching across the boundary between Virgo and Coma Berenices, forming part of the core of the Virgo Cluster, the nearest large galaxy cluster to the Milky Way, at a distance of around 50-60 million light-years. The cluster itself contains up to about 2,000 member galaxies and exerts a measurable gravitational pull on our own Local Group. Among the chain's most notable members are NGC 4438 and NGC 4435, nicknamed âThe Eyesâ for their paired, elongated appearance; the two collided at high speed roughly 100 million years ago, an encounter that stripped gas from NGC 4438 and seeded a bridge of newborn stars between them. The chain's tight grouping of galaxies makes it an excellent wide-field target for capturing several distinct galaxies in a single frame.
[Source: general astronomical references, incl. constellation-guide.com âEyes Galaxiesâ and messier-objects.com âMarkarian's Chainâ]
Total image time was 1 hour and 2 minutes.
Markarian's Chain is a striking string of roughly eight galaxies stretching across the boundary between Virgo and Coma Berenices, forming part of the core of the Virgo Cluster, the nearest large galaxy cluster to the Milky Way, at a distance of around 50-60 million light-years. The cluster itself contains up to about 2,000 member galaxies and exerts a measurable gravitational pull on our own Local Group. Among the chain's most notable members are NGC 4438 and NGC 4435, nicknamed âThe Eyesâ for their paired, elongated appearance; the two collided at high speed roughly 100 million years ago, an encounter that stripped gas from NGC 4438 and seeded a bridge of newborn stars between them. The chain's tight grouping of galaxies makes it an excellent wide-field target for capturing several distinct galaxies in a single frame.
[Source: general astronomical references, incl. constellation-guide.com âEyes Galaxiesâ and messier-objects.com âMarkarian's Chainâ]
Total image time was 1 hour and 2 minutes.
| Moon Phase | First Quarter | ||||||||
| Camera | Seestar S30 Pro (4K Sony IMX585 sensor) | ||||||||
| Optics | 160 mm focal length, f/5.3, 30 mm aperture (APO quadruplet) | ||||||||
| Filter | IRCUT | ||||||||
| Binning | 1x1 | ||||||||
| Date | 2026-03-24 | ||||||||
| PixInsight Processing |
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