Messier 60
| Messier 60 | |
|---|---|
M60 and the region around it, including the ultra-compact dwarf galaxy M60-UCD1 near the bottom | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Right ascension | 12h 43m 40.008s |
| Declination | +11° 33′ 09.40″ |
| Redshift | 0.003726 |
| Heliocentric radial velocity | 1,108 km/s |
| Distance | 56.7 Mly (17.38 Mpc) |
| Group or cluster | Virgo Cluster |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 8.8 |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | E1.5 or S0 |
| Apparent size (V) | 7.4′ × 6.0′ |
| Other designations | |
| M60, NGC 4649, PGC 42831, UGC 7898. | |
Messier 60 or M60, also known as NGC 4649, is an elliptical galaxy approximately 57 million light-years away in the equatorial constellation of Virgo. Together with NGC 4647, it forms a pair known as Arp 116. Messier 60 and nearby elliptical galaxy Messier 59 were discovered by Johann Gottfried Koehler in April 1779, observing a comet in the same part of the sky. Charles Messier added both to his catalogue about three days after this.