Constellation Chart

Berenice’s Hair

The constellation of Coma Berenices can be found around a huge and faint open cluster of Mel. 111 in north east of Leo. The constellation refers to a story concerning the hair of Berenice, queen of ancient Egypt. She offered her own hair on the temple of altar to pray the triumph of her husband. Around the border of Coma Berenices and Virgo coincides the North Pole of Galactic coordinates; so hardly includes the inner-galactic matter to obstruct the dimmed light from deep space. We can appreciate uncountable galaxies around the field on account of this. The constellation includes 8 Messier's objects and seven of those are galaxies around 10 to 50 millions light years away. Almost all of bright galaxies around the boundary on Virgo belong to the "Virgo galactic cluster" about 70 millions light years away. And it's known that a larger galactic cluster of "Coma cluster" about 300 millions light years away at around the northern region of the constellation. Those galactic clusters consist of some thousands of individual galaxies. And it's considered that the "Local group of galaxies" which includes our Galaxy, is pulled by their gigantic gravitation.

As the home of the Northern Galactic Pole, Coma Berenices lies directly 'upward' through the galactic disc of the Milky Way.

Open Clusters In Coma Berenices

Mel.111

You'll notice fine stars gathering just north-east of Leo's tail. This group is a huge open cluster Mel.111 very close to us of about 260 light years away. There is another huge cluster of the Hyades in winter sky. Mel.111 has a different impression from Hyades that includes bright stars like Aldebaran. Mel.111 includes only about 30 stars with third or fourth magnitudes, looks like a triangle on the whole. The cluster occupies almost all area of the constellation of Coma Berenices. At just south of the cluster, there is one of the closest galactic clusters of the Virgo Cluster. Therefore many galaxies are scattered in Coma Berenices; some of those can be enjoyed with small telescopes. It can be said that a very neighbored open cluster inner-Galaxy and a galactic cluster extremely apart from us about several ten-millions light years outer space are seen adjacent in spring skies.

Abell 1656

This picture shows you the Coma Cluster without inner-galactic stars erased by retouching process. All light spots in image are galaxies belonged to the Coma Cluster. The Coma Cluster is the second closest cluster of galaxies after the Virgo Cluster, the distance to central region is estimated about 290 millions light years. It's one of characteristics that the Coma Cluster contains many elliptical galaxies. But amateur telescopes can detect member galaxies as simple dimmed light spots. And it's noticeable that two large elliptical galaxies of NGC4874 and NGC4889 are lying in central region of the cluster. "Cluster of galaxies" is one of cosmic structures several thousands galaxies are gathering in scale of some ten millions light years. The local group of galaxies (LG) in which our Galaxy is included is a small-scaled galactic group that is positioned in a remote area of the Virgo Cluster. Actually the Virgo Cluster and LG form the "Virgo supercluster of galaxies", a larger cosmic structure in scale of hundred million light years or so. And this Coma Cluster is also a part of "Coma supercluster of galaxies". In short, it's neighbor supercluster of galaxies for us.

Globular Cluster In Coma Berenices

M53 (NGC5023)

M53 (NGC5023) is a small-sized globular cluster positioned just east of Virgo Cluster that contains uncountable galaxies. The cluster should be easily found at one-degree northeast of alpha Comae. M53 has a diameter of about 10 arc minutes and a magnitude of 7.6, the distance from the solar system is estimated about 65 thousand light years. The globular has a very densed nucleus, this picture shows over-exposured. It tends to be impressive with larger scopes, which are needed to resolve the individual members. M53 is one of few globular clusters visible in the spring skies; you can find a fairly vast globular cluster of M3 just northeast region of Canes Venatici.

Galaxies In Coma Berenices

M64 (NGC4826)

M64 (NGC4826) is a bright Messier's galaxy in the constellation of Coma Berenices, is positioned around the center of a huge triangle formed by Denebora (beta Leonis), Arcturus (alpha Bootis), and Cor Caroli (alpha CVn). The galaxy has a size of 10 by 5 arc minutes, can be detected easily by binoculars. And it's the most characteristic feature that the galaxy has the extremely noticeable dark lane at the central region. This dark cloud has given a nickname of "The Black-eye Galaxy". However you might need medium-ranged telescopes to see the "black-eye" with naked-eyes. M64 has a real diameter of about 160 thousand light years, it's fairly larger than that of our Galaxy. And a distance is estimated about 13 million light years from us.

M85

M85 is a galaxy around the northern edge of the Virgo Cluster in the constellation of Coma Berenices. Though the galaxy shows you a dimmed elliptic light without clear structures, classified as SO type because of the moderate characteristics between the elliptical and spiral. The galaxy has about 7 arc minutes in long axis and 10th magnitude. It might be needed fairly large telescopes to recognize clear appearances of a galaxy. This picture shows you another dimmed bared galaxy of NGC4394 just east of M85 with 11th magnitude.

NGC4548

NGC4548 is a bared galaxy in Coma Berenices, belongs to the Virgo Cluster. The galaxy has a diameter of about 5 arc minutes and 11th magnitude, considerably dimmed and it's difficult to find it with finder scopes, and you need larger telescopes to appreciate it. The galaxy has bars structure in east-west direction and fairly opened arms are coiled up from tips of the bars. Though I've written a Messier's number of M91 in parenthesis, actually there is no corresponding object at the position where C. Messier recorded. It's considered that he might mistake M91 for M58. But according to recent studies, it's most convincing that the NGC4548 is equivalent to M91. Though there are some other opinions like that M91 may be NGC4571 captured at the lower left of this picture, I'd like to adopt an opinion of that NGC4548 corresponds to M91.

M98

M98 is one of uncountable galaxies in the Virgo Cluster spread out high up in the spring sky, the galaxy lies around western edge of the Cluster. The galaxy can be found about 6 degrees east of Denebola, beta Leonis. Though it has a sufficient length of 10 arc minutes for small scopes, fairly fine object about 10th magnitude. You ought to search the galaxy with telescopes very carefully. It's considered that M98 is a spiral galaxy and we see it being edge on, and it has fairly complicated structure. The galaxy has an impression of the shrinked M81, very noticeable edge-on galaxy in Ursa Major. M98 is lying around close-side to us in the Virgo Cluster, about 36 million light years away.

M99

M99 is a spiral galaxy in west region of the Virgo Cluster like M98 in previous page. The galaxy is lying apart about 1.3 degrees ESE from M98, has an apparent diameter of 4 minutes and 10th magnitude. M99 shows us a unique "face-on" shape of two arms whirling. You will recognize these arms being asymmetric.

M100

M100 is one of bright spiral galaxies belonging to the Virgo Cluster spreading around Virgo and Coma Berenices. The galaxy is lying at the northern edge of the cluster in the Coma Berenices, has a size of about 5 arc minutes and a magnitude of 10. M100 is a typical spiral galaxy being two arms coiled up loosely, we're overlooking the galaxy its bulge; so-called the face-on galaxy. It looks like a shrinked Pinwheel Galaxy M101 in the Ursa Major. M100 is about 41 million light years away from our Galaxy. This picture shows you several small galaxies surrounding M100; it's NGC4312 just south of M100.

NGC4559

A galaxy of NGC4559 belongs to a constellation of Coma Berenices, and the galaxy is lying just 2 degrees of NGC4565, which is a very popular edge-on galaxy. NGC4559 has major axis and visual magnitude of 10 arc minutes and 10.2, respectively. Actually these size and brightness are almost equal to those of NGC4565. A galaxy of NGC4565 is very familiar as an example of edge-on appearance, while NGC4559 isn't so well known because of its figure without characteristics. Though the galaxy will show you a simple lump of dimmed light with scopes, indistinct arms are detected on films and it's understood that the galaxy has spiral structure a bit tilted from being edge-on.

NGC4565

NGC4565 is one of the brightest and largest galaxies without Messier's numbers scattered around the constellation of Coma Berenices. The galaxy is fairly popular one because it's often quoted as a very typical example of the "edge-on" galaxy. This edge-on galaxy is about 45 million light years away and has an apparent size in the thickness-direction of only 2 arc minutes, but has a length of more 15 arc minutes, equivalent to the half of an apparent diameter of full-moon. It might be easy to search the galaxy with the binoculars; you can recognize it as a narrow line in the conditioned sky. You will be able to enjoy the galaxy looks like the front-view of a plane with scopes. Though this picture shows you a dark lane crossing, you might need a bit larger scope to see the lane with naked-eyes. The galaxy has a long-short ratio of about 14:1. Almost all of typical galaxies have such a thin figure, of course including our Galaxy.

NGC4725

NGC4725 is a medium sized galaxy positioned around center of a constellation of Coma Berenices. The galaxy isn't so well known because there are many famous galaxies being distributed around this star-field. But has a diameter of 10 arc minutes and 10th magnitude, it's unexpectedly worth seeing. NGC4725 is a galaxy classified in so-called the "Bared galaxy"; it consists of bar-structure across the nuclei and a pair of arms surrounding them. The arms of NGC4725 are coiled up fairly tight, it seems that the arms surround the galaxy in circumference. And this picture shows you two fine neighboring galaxies; they are NGC4747 and NGC4715 at the upper left and the right of NGC4725, respectively.

Planetary Destinations In Coma Berenices

HD108874

HD 108874 Planetary System

Parent Star: HD 108874 (G5 V) in the constellation of Coma Berenices is located at a distance of 223.42 Light Years from our Solar system. Co-ordinates of Right Ascension: 12 30 26.8829 & +22 52 47.383. The apparent Magnitude of the star is 8.76. The Inner Edge of Habitability Zone is 0.57 AU & the Outer Edge of Habitability Zone: 1.8 AU and the estimated stellar lifespan of the star is 10000 million years. Orbiting around HD 108874 are planets HD 108874 b, HD 108874 c.

HD 108874 b the planet is believed to be a Water Cloud Jovian and its existence has been confirmed. The planets appearance is white water ice clouds. The planet is positioned at Earthlike Temperatures at Mean Orbital Distance of 1.051 ± 0.02 AU within Habitability Zone and the estimated mass of the planet is 1.36 ± 0.13 Jupiters. The planet Orbits around the star every 395.4 ± 2.5 Days and was discovered by Butler et al on 13 Jun 2002.

HD 108874 c the planet is believed to be a Water Cloud Jovian, Eccentric and its existence has been confirmed. The planets appearance is white water ice clouds. The planet is positioned out side of Habitability Zone at Mean Orbital Distance of 2.68 ± 0.25 AU and the estimated mass of the planet is 1.018 ± 0.3 Jupiters. The planet Orbits around the star every 1605.8 ± 88 Days and was discovered by VOGT S., BUTLER P., MARCY G., FISCHER D., HENRY G., LAUGHLIN G., WRIGHT J. & JOHNSON A. in 2005.

HD 114762

Parent Star: HD 114762 (F9 V) in the constellation of Coma Berenices is located at a distance of 98 Light Years from our Solar system. Co-ordinates are Right Ascension: 13 12 19.7427 & Declination: 17 31 01.643. The apparent Magnitude of the star is 7.3. The Inner Edge of Habitability Zone is 0.66 AU & the Outer Edge of Habitability Zone: 2.06 AU. Orbiting around HD 114762 is planet HD 114762 b is believed to be a Clarified Jovian, Eccentric and its exitence has been confirmed. The Planets Appearance is blue and cloudless. The planet is positioned out side of habitability zone at mean orbital distance of 0.3 AU and the planet Orbits around the star every 83.89 Days and was discovered by David Latham in 1989.

Solar System In Coma Berenices

NGC4414

Pallalonian Solar System

Based on their discovery and careful brightness measurements of variable stars in this galaxy, the Key Project astronomers were able to make an accurate determination of the distance to the galaxy. The resulting distance to NGC 4414, about 60 million light-years, along with similarly determined distances to other nearby galaxies, contributes to astronomers' overall knowledge of the expansion rate of the cosmos, and helps them determine the age of the universe.