Markarian's Chain

Posted on Fri 10 May 2024 in astro

Charles Messier first discovered M84 and M86 the two brightest galaxies in the chain, in 1781. The other galaxies were discovered later by William Herschel entered into John Louis Emil Dreyer's New General Catalog (NGC) published in 1888. The name ultimately received it's name from Armenian Astrophysicist Benjamin Markarian, who discovered their common motion in the early 1960's

Markarian's Chain

Member Galaxies

  • M84 (NGC 4374)
  • M86 (NGC 4406)
  • NGC 4477
  • NGC 4473
  • NGC 4461
  • NGC 4458
  • NGC 4438
  • NGC 4435

So this was taken way way out west in the everglades in the Rottenberger Wildlife Management Area. It also turns out that there was an aurora going on at the same time as I was imaging. One of my fellow astrophotographers walk up and asks me what those pink lights are in the sky and at first I just thought it was someone with a pickup truck with LED lights. Turns out it was the Aurora Borialis as far south as southern Florida!

Aurora Borialis Aurora Borialis

Equipment List

  • Losmandy GM811G
  • Stellarvue SV70T
  • QHY 183C Cooled astro camera
  • ZWO ASI-290MM Guide camera and 50mm guidescope

Aquisition

  • Lights: 70 Sub-frames at 180s Gain 10 and Offset 10.
  • Darks: 30 frames at 180s
  • Flats: 30 frames at 0.41s
  • Flat Darks (Dark Flats?): 30 frames at 0.41s

astrophotography