Markarian's Chain
Object RA DEC Vis Mag Distance Object Type Constellation
NGC 4305 12h 22m 03.6s +12° 44´ 27" 12.4   spiral galaxy Virgo
NGC 4306 12h 22m 04.2s +12° 47´ 15" 12.8
barred spiral galaxy Virgo
M84 12h 25m 03.6s +12° 53´ 13" 9.2 60 mly elliptic galaxy Virgo
NGC 4387 12h 25m 41.7s +12° 48´ 37" 12 61.7 mly elliptic galaxy Virgo
NGC 4388 12h 25m 46.9s +12° 39´ 43" 11 60 mly spiral galaxy Virgo
NGC 4402 12h 26m 07.8s +13° 06´ 47" 11.8 55 mly spiral galaxy Virgo
M86 12h 26m 11.5s +12° 56´ 47" 8.9 52 mly elliptic galaxy Virgo
NGC 4413 12h 26m 32.1s +12° 36´ 37" 11.9
barred spiral galaxy Virgo
NGC 4425 12h 27m 13.3s +12° 44´ 05" 11.9
barred spiral galaxy Virgo
NGC 4435 12h 27m 40.5s +13° 04´ 47" 10.8 52 mly barred spiral galaxy Virgo
NGC 4438 12h 27m 45.6s +13° 00´ 31" 10 52 mly spiral galaxy Virgo
NGC 4440 12h 27m 53.5s +12° 17´ 36" 11.9
barred spiral galaxy Virgo
NGC 4436 12h 27m 41.3s +12° 18´ 57" 13.1 54.9 mly spiral galaxy Virgo
NGC 4431 12h 27m 27.4s +12° 17´ 26" 12.9 51.6 mly spiral galaxy Virgo
NGC 4458 12h 28m 57.7s +13° 14´ 32" 11.8 55.9 mly elliptic galaxy Virgo
NGC 4461 12h 29m 02.9s +13° 11´ 04" 11.1 53.1 mly
 barred spiral galaxy Virgo
M87 12h 30m 49.4s +12° 23´ 26" 8.6 60 mly elliptic galaxy Virgo
NGC 4531 12h 34m 15.8s +13° 04´ 33" 11.7 49.6 mly barred spiral galaxy Virgo
NGC 4459 12h 29m 00.0s +13° 58´ 43" 10.4 52.2 mly spiral galaxy Coma Berenices
NGC 4473 12h 29m 48.7s +13° 25´ 47" 10.2 50.4 mly elliptic galaxy Coma Berenices
NGC 4474 12h 29m 53.3s +14° 04´ 07" 11.5 47.6 mly spiral galaxy Coma Berenices
NGC 4477 12h 30m 02.0s +13° 38´ 13" 10.4 56.9 mly
 barred spiral galaxy Coma Berenices
NGC 4479 12h 30m 18.3s +13° 34´ 41" 12.5 53.5 mly barred spiral galaxy Coma Berenices
NGC 4506 12h 32m 10.5s +13° 25´ 13" 12.8
barred spiral galaxy Coma Berenices

Markarian's chain was named after an Armenian astronomer in the 1970s and represents a beautiful stretch of galaxies that forms part of the Virgo Cluster. Our own Local Group of galaxies (Milky Way, large and small Magellenic Clouds, M31, M32, M100, M33) is currently receding from the Virgo Cluster at a rate of about 1000 km/second. However, it is anticipated that our Local Group will eventually stop receding from the Virgo Cluster and will ultimately accelerate towards this region (gravity from the Virgo Cluster influences us even at distances of 70 million light years).