Messier 84

This article is about the galaxy M84. For the Yugoslav tank, see M-84.
Messier 84
Messier 84 nucleus by HST
Galaxy Messier 84 in Virgo, imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationVirgo
Right ascension12h 25m 03.74333s[1]
Declination+12° 53′ 13.1393″[1]
Redshift1,060±6 km/s[2]
Heliocentric radial velocity999[3] km/s
Distance54.9 Mly (16.83 Mpc)[3]
Apparent magnitude (V)9.1[4]
Absolute magnitude (V)−22.41±0.10[5]
Characteristics
TypeE1[5]
Apparent size (V)6.5′ × 5.6′[2]
Half-light radius (apparent)72.5″±6″[5]
Other designations
M84, NGC 4374, PGC 40455, UGC 7494, VCC 763[6]

Messier 84 or M84, also known as NGC 4374, is a giant elliptical or lenticular galaxy in the constellation Virgo. Charles Messier discovered the object in 1781[a] in a systematic search for "nebulous objects" in the night sky.[7] It is the 84th object in the Messier Catalogue and in the heavily populated core of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies, part of the local supercluster.[8]

This galaxy has morphological classification E1, denoting it has flattening of about 10%. The extinction-corrected total luminosity in the visual band is about 7.64×1010 L☉. The central mass-to-light ratio is 6.5, which, to a limit, steadily increases away from the core. The visible galaxy is surrounded by a massive dark matter halo.[5]

Radio observations and Hubble Space Telescope images of M84 have revealed two jets of matter shooting out from its center as well as a disk of rapidly rotating gas and stars indicating the presence of a 1.5 ×109 M☉[9] supermassive black hole. It also has a few young stars and star clusters, indicating star formation at a very low rate.[10] The number of globular clusters is 1,775±150, which is much lower than expected for an elliptical galaxy.[11]

Viewed from Earth its half-light radius, relative angular size of its 50% peak of lit zone of the sky, is 72.5″, thus just over an arcminute.

Two supernovae have been observed in M84: SN 1957B[12] and SN 1991bg.[13] Seen between these dates, it may have bore a third, SN 1980I – which may have been in either neighboring galaxy NGC 4387 or M86.[14] This high rate of supernovae is rare for elliptical galaxies, which may indicate there is a population of stars of intermediate age in M84.[11]

Location of M84
  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Lambert2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference ned was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Tully2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Messier 84". SEDS Messier Catalog. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference Napolitano2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference simbad was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference jonesbook1991 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Finoguenovetal2002 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bower et al. 1998 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference ford2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Gómez2004 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Götz1958 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference Kosaietal1991 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference Smith1981 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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