The Markarian Chain + Giacomo Pro + L-QEF (L-Quad Enhance Filter)

The Markarian Chain

Credit: Giacomo Pro

Filters: Optolong L-QEF (L-Quad Enhance Filter)

 

 

The Markarian Chain
This is a string of several galaxies forming part of the Virgo Cluster. The Virgo Cluster is a vast cluster of approximately 2,000 galaxies, the centre of which lies some 53 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. It is named after the Armenian astronomer B. E. Markarian, who discovered in the 1960s that some of these galaxies move in a coherent pattern, whilst conducting a study on the excess emission of ultraviolet radiation in certain galaxies.
Through a telescope, Markarian’s Chain appears as an arc of galaxies, which also includes M84 and M86, discovered by Charles Messier and included in his famous catalogue. M84, in particular, is an active galaxy, and images from the Hubble Space Telescope have revealed two jets of matter shooting out from its nucleus, within which lies a supermassive black hole with a mass of approximately 1.5 billion solar masses. M86, on the other hand, is trailing a stream of matter and emitting X-rays as it moves.
The other galaxies were discovered by William Herschel and are NGC 4477, NGC 4473, NGC 4461, NGC 4458, NGC 4438 and NGC 4435.
Another distinctive feature is that the two galaxies NGC 4435 and NGC 4438 interact with one another and together form the so-called Eye of Virgo.     

 

 

 

 

Light 378 x 180”  

Filter: Optolong Astronomy Filter L-QEF
Camera: Asi 294 mc pro
Telescope: Sharpstar 94 EDPH 
Mount: Skywatcher Eq 6-r Pro 
Acquisition: Asiair Plus
Software: DSS - Pixinsight – Photoshop
Shots: 17-18-19/04/2026
Location: Torricella (TA) ITALY
SQM: 19,75
Author: PRO’ GIACOMO.      

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