May 15
The shells of M85 (center) // Guillaume Gruntz, Benoit SAINTOT, Eddie Seguin, & Dan_I
NGC 4394 is to the right and IC 3292 is to the left.
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The shells of M85 (center) // Guillaume Gruntz, Benoit SAINTOT, Eddie Seguin, & Dan_I
NGC 4394 is to the right and IC 3292 is to the left.
Lenticular Ellipse
M85 (center) and NGC 4394 (bottom) // Jerry Macon
M85 (center), NGC 4394 (left), and IC 3292 (right) // AnaTa
M85 (upper left) and other galaxies in Coma Berenices // Andrew Burwell
M85 (center right) and NGC 4394 (center left) // Bart Delsaert
M85 is an elliptical galaxy, but one that has a complex series of shells and ripples. These features are thought to have been created some 4-7 billion years ago when it merged with another galaxy. It is currently interacting with the barred spiral galaxy NGC 4394, which might be supporting the shells' structure.
This galaxy was an original discovery of Méchain's in 1781 and is an isolated member of the Virgo Cluster, about 60 million light years away.
M85 (center) and NGC 4394 (center bottom) // Ulli_K
Messier 85 - Lenticular Galaxy in Coma Berenices
Discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781 and catalogued by Charles Messier, M85 is a lenticular galaxy and a seeming twin to its neighbour, M84. It has a very old stellar population and is not actively creating new stars. There was one supernova in M85 during1960, which was carefully observed by astronomers.
Top: Wide-Field (right) - F. Espenak
Bottom: Close-Up - PD-HUBBLE