How to photograph the Markarian’s Chain (Virgo Cluster)
A curving chain of galaxies at the heart of the Virgo Cluster.
Photo byChuck Ayoub(CC0)
When to shoot it from your location
About the Markarian’s Chain
Markarian’s Chain is a string of galaxies, led by M84 and M86, that arcs across about a degree of sky. A 300-500mm setup captures dozens of galaxies in one frame.
Gear and framing
The Markarian’s Chain spans about 90′ of sky. It frames best with:
- Telephoto (85-300mm lens)
- Small refractor (250-600mm)
You can see how other people have built their rigs on RigDesigner, including my Sony a6700 and 60mm refractor rig.
Filters
This is a broadband target, which means its light is mostly starlight across the whole spectrum. Shoot it with no filter or a UV/IR cut filter. A broadband light pollution filter can help a little in the suburbs. Dual-band and narrowband filters block most of its light, so leave them off. Plan it for a moonless night at a dark site.
Tips
- From a dark site with no Moon you can pick out more than twenty galaxies in one frame.
Processing
Stack your light frames with darks and flats, then remove the background gradient before stretching. AstroBake does all of this for you. Point it at your folders of raw frames, then adjust the result with live sliders.