Virgo Cluster of Galaxies
Coma Berenices contains the northern portion of the Virgo cluster (also known as the Coma-Virgo cluster), which is around 60 million light years away.
M100 (NGC 4321) is a 9th-magnitude spiral galaxy seen face-on. It is part of the Virgo Cluster. At 7 arcminutes across, it has the largest apparent size of any galaxy in the Virgo cluster. Its diameter is over 120,000 light years, making it among the largest spiral galaxies in the Virgo cluster. Photographs reveal a brilliant core, two prominent spiral arms and an array of secondary ones, as well as several dust lanes.
M85 (NGC 4382) is an elliptical galaxy in the Virgo cluster. It is one of the brighter members of the cluster at magnitude 9. Its nucleus is bright and appears starlike in small amateur telescopes.
M98 (NGC 4192) is a bright, elongated spiral galaxy that is seen nearly edge-on; it can appear elliptical because of its unusual angle. It is of the 10th magnitude and is a member of the Virgo Cluster.
M99 (NGC 4254) is a spiral galaxy seen face-on. Like M98, it is a 10th-magnitude member of the Virgo Cluster. R.H. Allen called it the "Pinwheel nebula", although this name is more often applied to the Triangulum Galaxy.
M88 (NGC 4501) is a multi-arm spiral galaxy, seen about 30° from edge-on.
M91 (NGC 4548) is a barred spiral galaxy.
Read more about this topic: Coma Berenices, Notable Features, Galaxies
Famous quotes containing the words cluster and/or galaxies:
“the green hells of the sea
Where fallen skies and evil hues and eyeless creatures be;
On them the sea-valves cluster and the grey sea-forests curl,
Splashed with a splended sickness, the sickness of the pearl;”
—Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874–1936)
“Don’t you see what’s at stake here? The ultimate aim of all science—to penetrate the unknown. Do you realize we know less about the earth we live on than about the stars and the galaxies of outer space? The greatest mystery is right here, right under our feet.”
—Walter Reisch (1903–1963)