About NGC 4406 (M86)

NGC 4406 is frequently observed by amateur astronomers and appears as a soft glow. It has moderate brightness.

Current visibility

Right now it is at about 56° altitude and reaches 77° around 12:04 AM.

It stays above 30° for roughly 8 hours.

Galaxies are sensitive to light pollution, subtle features are easily lost in bright skies.

Observing tips

It can be challenging under typical skies.

What to expect

Under good conditions, the object reveals more character.

It is less prominent than the brightest objects in the catalog.

Type

Lenticular (S0) Galaxy

Constellation

Virgo

Distance

60000000 ly

Size

7.4' x 5.5'

Season

Spring

Difficulty

Moderate

Magnitude

8.9