Messier 88 (M88 or NGC 4501) is a bright, multi-arm spiral galaxy located in the constellation Coma Berenices. As a prominent member of the Virgo Cluster, it is roughly 47 to 60 million light-years from Earth. M88 is one of the fifteen Messier objects that belong to the nearby Virgo Cluster of galaxies. It is galaxy number 1401 in the Virgo Cluster Catalogue (VCC). The catalogue includes 2096 galaxies that are candidate members of the cluster.
The galaxy is inclined at about 30 to 64 degrees to our line of sight. This inclination gives it an elongated, elliptical appearance through telescopes. It spans about 100,000 to 130,000 light-years in diameter, making it comparable in size to our Milky Way. It contains about 400 billion stars.
With an apparent magnitude of 9.6, it is visible in large binoculars as a blurry patch and reveals its spiral structure in larger amateur telescopes. The galaxy is best observed during the spring months, particularly in May.
Image acquisition using APT. Image processing using PixInsight. Astrobin link for acquisition details and an annotated image.
