Galaxies M 59 and M 60

Galaxies M60 and M59 are among the bright members of the famous Virgo Cluster of galaxies. In a small amateur telescope, M60 appears near M59 as a round, diffuse patch. On a dark spring night, it is not difficult to find it about one and a half degrees north of ρ Virginis, east of the cluster's center. In a 200–250 mm telescope, the first thing that draws attention is M60's close companion—the spiral galaxy NGC 4647 with a brightness of 11.4m, seen almost face-on. The pair M60/NGC 4647 is very close and appears nearly as touching zeros of an "8." Besides M59, M60, and NGC 4647, under good observing conditions (a moonless, clear night away from urban light pollution), moderately faint (11m) compact galaxies can be seen near M60: NGC 4638 about 12 arcminutes to the east-southeast, NGC 4660 (not in the frame) about 25 arcminutes to the southwest, as well as other galaxies. Integration: 46 minutes