The Markarian Chain, a striking alignment of galaxies, stretches across the cosmos like a celestial necklace adorning the night sky. Situated within the Virgo Cluster, this remarkable assembly of galaxies features prominent members such as M84, M86, and the giant elliptical galaxy M87.

Spanning over 3 degrees of space, the Markarian Chain is a testament to the gravitational dance of galaxies, with each member influenced by the gravitational pull of its neighbors. This intricate cosmic ballet offers astronomers a unique opportunity to study galaxy interactions, mergers, and the evolution of cosmic structures over billions of years.

The Markarian Chain and its neighboring galaxies stand as a captivating reminder of the vastness and complexity of the universe, inviting us to explore the mysteries of deep space and unravel the secrets of galactic evolution.

Markarian's Chain, a prominent feature in the Virgo Cluster, is a gravitational ballet of galactic proportions. Comprising a series of interacting galaxies linked by the force of gravity, this cosmic necklace spans the Virgo Cluster's core, captivating astronomers and stargazers alike with its mesmerizing allure.

This RGB image captures the intricate details of the galaxies within Markarian's Chain, each one a celestial jewel with its unique shape and structure. The gravitational interactions between these galaxies have given rise to stunning tidal tails and bridges, a testament to the complex dynamics shaping their shared cosmic destiny.

Situated roughly 50 million light-years away, Markarian's Chain provides a remarkable glimpse into the rich galactic diversity present in the Virgo Cluster. As part of the larger Virgo Supercluster, this cosmic ensemble invites contemplation of the vast cosmic structures that govern the distribution of galaxies across the cosmos.

Image Description and Details : Reworking of a previous photo highlighting the NFI that characterizes the cluster of the Virgin.
The IFN (Integrated Flux Nebulae) are huge systems of very faint and faint filaments nebulae predominantly not illuminated belonging to the high Galactic latitudes of the Milky Way.
The most extensive system of this type extends along all the northern constellations of the northern celestial hemisphere reaching even the Polar star.
These nebulae have in common the fact that they are not illuminated by a single star but by all the stars of the Milky Way in the vicinity.
Their visibility is conventionally divided between very Bright (those close to M81 and M82), Medium, Faint (weak, as in the case of the Markarian's chain) and dim (poor).
The IFN present in the Markarian cluster is however rather surprising both for its distance from the galactic plane and for its relative brightness although defined as very poor in the details.

Copyright: Giambattista Rizzo

Image Description and Details : SkyWatcher EQ 8 PRO Mount+TS Optics Photoline 80/480 f / 6 Triplet Super Apo - FPL-53+TS-Optics 2 "PHOTOLINE 0.79x Reducer / correctorZWO Optical ASI 1600-MM COOLED+ZWO EFWTelescope Guide: SkyWatcher EvoGuide 50ED+ZWO Optical ASI 290 MMFilters: Astronomik LRGB 1.25 "Type IIc

(Accumulation: 39h.)Locations: "Auriga" Private Observatory, Makeikha, Moscow Region, Russia

Copyright: Sviatoslav Lips