M86

NGC 4406 · Galaxy in Virgo

Magnitude: 8.9
Size: 9′ × 6′
Effective surface brightness: 21.9 mag/arcsec²
Best months: Mar, Apr, May
Declination: +13°
Filter: None (broadband target)

M84's companion in Markarian's Chain, a large elliptical falling into the Virgo cluster.

Reachable from mid-northern latitudes (UK, northern US, central Europe) and from the south.

How long with each smart telescope

Total integration for a solid image of the M86, default sub length, recommended filter, and how much of each frame it fills. Click a cell for the full Bortle 1 to 9 table.
Telescope	In frame	Bortle 3 (rural)	Bortle 5 (suburban)	Bortle 7 (urban edge)
ZWO Seestar S5010 s subs	21%	35 min212 subs	56 min337 subs	2 h 27 min881 subs
ZWO Seestar S50 Pro10 s subs	11%	39 min236 subs	1 h 02 min370 subs	2 h 40 min959 subs
ZWO Seestar S3010 s subs	13%	40 min238 subs	1 h362 subs	2 h 31 min907 subs
ZWO Seestar S30 Pro10 s subs	7%	42 min252 subs	1 h 06 min394 subs	2 h 49 min1,014 subs
DwarfLab DWARF 315 s subs	9%	47 min187 subs	1 h 19 min315 subs	3 h 39 min876 subs
DwarfLab DWARF mini15 s subs	13%	35 min140 subs	56 min223 subs	2 h 26 min586 subs
DwarfLab Draco30 s subs	12%	28 min57 subs	46 min92 subs	2 h 01 min243 subs
DwarfLab DWARF II15 s subs	8%	2 h 33 min611 subs	3 h 30 min842 subs	7 h 42 min1,850 subs
Vaonis Vespera II10 s subs	10%	35 min212 subs	56 min337 subs	2 h 27 min881 subs
Vaonis Vespera Pro10 s subs	9%	1 h 26 min515 subs	2 h 09 min777 subs	5 h 20 min1,922 subs
Vaonis Vespera 310 s subs	10%	33 min201 subs	53 min321 subs	2 h 21 min844 subs
Vaonis Vespera Pro 210 s subs	9%	1 h 21 min486 subs	2 h 03 min738 subs	5 h 06 min1,837 subs
Unistellar eQuinox 24 s subs	26%	46 min692 subs	59 min886 subs	1 h 56 min1,734 subs
Unistellar Odyssey4 s subs	27%	4 h 04 min3,655 subs	4 h 51 min4,361 subs	8 h 17 min7,448 subs
Celestron Origin10 s subs	18%	8 min51 subs	14 min86 subs	40 min241 subs
Celestron Origin Mark II10 s subs	20%	11 min64 subs	19 min115 subs	56 min337 subs

Open in the calculator

Imaging the galaxy

Galaxies are broadband targets: their light is mostly starlight spread across the spectrum, so a dual-band filter throws most of it away and makes things slower, not faster. Shoot without a filter (or with a plain UV/IR cut) and rely on total time and a dark sky. The core of a galaxy is usually many times brighter than its outer disc, so a short stack shows the nucleus long before the arms; the figures here are for the arms and disc, not the core.

Field rotation in Alt-Az mode crops the edges of the stack over a long session, so on a big galaxy re-centre now and then or use EQ mode where your scope supports it.

M86

How long with each smart telescope

Imaging the galaxy

Per-telescope pages