About Virgo A (M87)

Virgo A is a rewarding deep-sky target and shows up as a faint patch of light. It has moderate brightness.

Current visibility

Right now it is at about 55° altitude and reaches 78° around 12:19 AM.

It stays above 30° for roughly 8 hours.

Galaxies are sensitive to light pollution, structure becomes clearer under good conditions.

Observing tips

It can be challenging under typical skies.

What to expect

Under good conditions, the object reveals more character.

Type

Elliptical Galaxy

Constellation

Virgo

Distance

60000000 ly

Size

7.2' x 6.8'

Season

Spring

Difficulty

Moderate

Magnitude

8.6