NGC 4382

Messier 85 (NGC 4382) is a lenticular galaxy of type S0 in the constellation Coma Berenices, the northernmost confirmed member of the vast Virgo Cluster of galaxies approximately 60 million light-years away. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain on March 4, 1781, and confirmed by Charles Messier shortly after. Lenticular galaxies occupy a structural middle ground between ellipticals and spirals: like ellipticals, they have a smooth, predominantly featureless appearance dominated by old red and yellow stars; like spirals, they possess a disk component and often contain some dust — but lack the spiral arms and active star formation of true spirals. NGC 4382 is one of the most luminous members of the Virgo Cluster.

NGC 4382 has had a more eventful history than its placid appearance suggests. It is one of only a handful of galaxies known to show a blue core — a slight excess of blue light in the nucleus suggesting a past episode of star formation or nuclear activity that has since subsided. Nearby in the same field lies the smaller galaxy NGC 4394, a barred spiral that may be a physical companion to M85. In 1960, a supernova (SN 1960R) was observed in NGC 4382, brightening to magnitude 11.7 — one of the brighter supernovae observed in a nearby galaxy during the modern photographic era.

In a small telescope M85 appears as a bright, round, featureless oval with a noticeably brighter nucleus; larger apertures may hint at the fainter companion NGC 4394 in the same field. This image was made from observations at the Kitt Peak National Observatory 0.9-meter telescope in December 1996.