Markarian’s Chain
Markarian’s Chain is a group of galaxies located about 65 million light years from Willingboro.
The first galaxies in Markarian’s Chain to be discovered were the elliptical or lenticular galaxies, M84 and M86, and were first catalogued by Charles Messier in 1781.
The galaxies NGC 4435 and NGC 4438 form an interacting pair known as the “Eyes Galaxies.” Quite a while back, they came within 16,000 light years of each other and the gravitational forces ripped away material from each of the galaxies. The galaxies were nicknamed the Eyes because they look like a pair of eyes in small telescopes. I don’t see it.
NGC 4458 is an elliptical galaxy, about 55 million light years distant from Willingboro.
NGC 4388 is an active spiral galaxy 65.1 million light years away. It is undergoing a transformation and has taken on a somewhat confused identity. While the galaxy’s outskirts appear smooth and featureless, a feature of an elliptical galaxy, its center shows dust lanes between the two symmetric spiral arms, one of the features of a spiral galaxy. Despite the ambiguity, NGC 4388 is classified as a spiral galaxy. Its unusual combination of features are caused by interactions between NGC 4388 and the Virgo Cluster. Gravitational interactions, from glancing blows to head-on collisions, tidal influencing, mergers, and galactic cannibalism, can be devastating to galaxies. While some may be lucky enough to simply suffer a distorted spiral arm or new wave of star formation, others see their structure and contents completely and irrevocably altered. I guess NGC 4388 is one of the luckier ones.
The nearby NGC 4387 is a 12th magnitude elliptical galaxy.
The barred spiral galaxy NGC 4413 has a magnitude of 11.9 and a linear diameter of 35,000 light years.
NGC 4425 is a lenticular galaxy with an apparent magnitude of 11.8.
NGC 4402 is another spiral galaxy seen edge-on. Located about 48 million light years from Willingboro, the galaxy is about 55 thousand light years wide. A supernova, designated SN 1976B, was discovered in the galaxy in 1976.
Lastly IC 3303 is just a galaxy to us. But I am sure it is more important than that to the beings who live there.
Finally, there are more galaxies in Markarian’s Chain, but the FOV of my telescope was not large enough. I’ll get them later.
