M81 (NGC 3031), spiral galaxy, Ursa Major
Both M81 and M82 are faintly visible in 7x50 binoculars and the 9x50 finder scope from my garden, and they also make a nice small-scope pairing. In the XT10 the Ethos (at 92x) is wide enough to show them in the same field of view, although both fall outside the central sharp zone when viewed like this.
At 133x, M81 shows a bright, condensed core with a stellar nucleus and an ill-defined outer haze. Dark patches visible near the core. There are two close foreground double stars in a line SW from the core; the outermost pair just barely split at 133x.
92x: Suggestion of a hazy extended halo, doubling the size of the galaxy. The spiral arms themselves remain elusive, but the haze on the eastern side seems slightly more prominent, separated from the core by a darker area. The effect is so subtle I can’t really count it as a positive identification of spiral structure, but it does illustrate that most of the time when you’re looking at M81 through a small-to-medium scope, you’re really only seeing the galaxy’s innermost regions.
M81 appears bright and large at 171x with a sprinkling of foreground field stars and maybe just a hint of spiral structure. I should really spend more time studying this galaxy, but it’s hard to give it your full concentration when you know M82 is only a nudge of the scope away.
M82 (NGC 3034), starburst irregular galaxy, Ursa Major
133x: Extended streak of light tapering to points at either end (like two candle-flames back-to-back). Bright field star off one edge. High surface brightness and lots of detail in the form of bright condensations and dark dust lanes and notches. One of the best galaxies for seeing structure (as opposed to barely seeing it).
M82 remains bright and large at 171x, with the most prominent feature being the bisecting dark lane cutting through the galaxy at an angle. Also a bright knot on the western side of the rift.
See also:
NGC 3077, elliptical galaxy, Ursa Major
92x, 133x, 171x: An overlooked member of the M81 Galaxy Group, located southeast of M81 and next to an 8th magnitude star. Faint compared to M81 and M82, but quite obvious once you know it’s there. Visually it appears as an amorphous round blob; brighter towards the centre, but with a suggestion of asymmetry.
NGC 2976, dwarf galaxy, Ursa Major
92x. Another overlooked member of the M81 Group, located southwest of M81. Appears as a large, faint ellipse (perhaps irregular?), not as bright as NGC 3077, with a faint star just off the southern edge.
M83 (NGC 5236), barred spiral galaxy, Hydra
133x: At -30 degrees declination, this is the southernmost galaxy in the Messier catalogue (culminating at less than 9 degrees above my horizon). When conditions allow, the galaxy is just visible as a condensed fuzzy core, with a distinctive line of 3 stars to the south and east. Averted vision reveals a very faint surrounding haze. That I’m able to see it all illustrates that it must be a spectacular object when viewed from more favourable latitudes.
M84 (NGC 4374), lenticular or elliptical galaxy, Virgo
92x: Bright elliptical galaxy at the south-western end of Markarian’s chain. Not as large as M86, but has a very bright core.
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NGC 4388: Inclined, narrow galaxy forming an equilateral triangle with M84 and M86 (but not as prominent as those two giants). Brighter towards centre.
NGC 4387: Faint little galaxy at the centre of the M84/M86/NGC 4388 triangle. (All four galaxies in the same fov at 92x.) Stellar nucleus with averted vision.
M85 (NGC 4382), lenticular or elliptical galaxy, Coma Berenices
133x: Bright, oval galaxy, with an intense star-like nucleus. Bright star to the southeast and a fainter one just north of the core. NGC 4394 is in the same field to the east-northeast. It’s fainter than M85, but has a similar apparent size. Appears brighter towards the centre with averted vision.
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NGC 4293, lenticular galaxy, Coma Berenices
133x: Faint elongated ellipse, quite large. Two field stars at either end of the long axis and two more on the northeast side, but no detail other than a vague mottling. West of M85, but more easily located by looking north of the 5th magnitude star 11 Comae Berenices.
M86 (NGC 4406), elliptical galaxy, Virgo
92x: Large round galaxy. Brightness increases smoothly towards the core, at the centre of which resides a stellar nucleus, but otherwise this galaxy appears featureless. NGC 4402 suspected with averted vision to the north, but not confirmed.
M87 (NGC 4486), elliptical galaxy, Virgo
92x and 133x: Large, oval blur – bigger and brighter than any other galaxy in the region (not surprisingly). Intensifies to a large bright core, but no stellar nucleus that I could see. Large halo extending almost halfway towards NGC 4478. Of course, astronomers have known for a long time about the super-massive black hole at the centre of M87, but now that we’ve seen it, observing this galaxy takes on a special significance. Visually, there's not much to see in the way of structure or detail in M87 (my telescope is nowhere near large enough to glimpse the famous jet), but it’s one galaxy I can’t stop staring at.
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NGC 4478, galaxy, Virgo
Southwest of M87. Like a smaller, ghostly light echo of its monstrous big brother.
M88 (NGC 4501), spiral galaxy, Coma Berenices
92x: Bright galaxy shaped like an elongated disc. One field star northwest and two more southeast. Slightly extended core. Seems to be a faint spot east of the nucleus; in some moments it appeared star-like, at other times it was fuzzy.
See also:
NGC 4474: Small round galaxy southwest of M88. Brighter towards the centre.
NGC 4459: Compact little galaxy just west of bright field star. Very bright core, but not stellar.
NGC 4477: Bright, round galaxy. Stellar core; otherwise featureless. The northern end of Markarian’s Chain, depending on where you define the starting point (some extend it all the way to M88).
M89 (NGC 4552), elliptical galaxy, Virgo
92x: Very bright, round, condensed galaxy. Bright core; faint star to the east.
See also:
NGC 4550 & NGC 4551: Close pair of galaxies in same field as M89, due south. 4550 seems slightly brighter than 4551.
M90 (NGC 4569), spiral galaxy, Virgo
92x: Large, extended “Andromeda-style” ellipse with a very bright star-like nucleus. Hint of “shell-like” structure with a sharper, darker cut-off along the eastern side. The detail in this galaxy is elusive, but it’s noticeably different from all the relatively featureless ellipticals in the region.
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