Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Coma Berenices (Com)  ·  Contains:  M 88  ·  NGC 4501
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M 88 Galaxy, Mirosław Stygar
M 88 Galaxy
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M 88 Galaxy

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M 88 Galaxy, Mirosław Stygar
M 88 Galaxy
Powered byPixInsight

M 88 Galaxy

Acquisition type: Lucky imaging

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Description

This is a wonderful barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation of Coma Berenices. It is part of the Virgo Cluster, which is one of the closest galaxy clusters to us. It was discovered by Charles Messier on March 18, 1781, and listed in his catalog as one of the nebulous objects.

M88, belonging to the Seyfert galaxy group, is approximately 47 million light-years away from Earth. M88 has a morphological classification of SAB(rs)b. This means it has a bar (SAB - specifically intermediate spiral galaxies, lacking a distinct bar shape in their nucleus, but not spiraling from a single point, rather somewhere in between), which is a structure composed of stars and interstellar matter, stretching through the galaxy's center. Additionally, it has a ring (rs) and well-developed spiral arms (b), which are sites of intense star formation. These spiral arms are clearly visible in images of the galaxy and play a crucial role in its structure.

The galaxy is inclined at an angle of 64° relative to the line of sight, allowing us to see its overall outline and a series of magnificent details. This, along with its high brightness - approximately 10.4 mag, makes it one of the best-studied spiral galaxies in this cluster, providing valuable information about the structure and evolution of spiral galaxies.

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M 88 Galaxy, Mirosław Stygar

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