M90
NGC 4569
Spiral
Properties
Position & Identifiers
Visibility
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About M90
Description
M90 is a large, bright spiral galaxy in Virgo, about 59 million light-years from Earth. It is one of the largest spiral galaxies in the Virgo Cluster, spanning about 120,000 light-years. Like M86, M90 is blueshifted — it is approaching us as it speeds through the Virgo Cluster. The galaxy shows smooth, tightly wound spiral arms and relatively little active star formation.
Observing Tips
Located about 1.5 degrees north-northeast of M87. In a telescope it appears as a bright, elongated oval glow with a prominent nucleus and smooth disk. The spiral arms are faint and require dark skies and moderate aperture (8 inches+) to detect. Its elongated shape makes it more visually interesting than many Virgo ellipticals. Best observed from March through June.
History
Discovered by Charles Messier on March 18, 1781. M90 is one of the few Virgo Cluster galaxies that is blueshifted, meaning it is moving toward us.
Fun Facts
M90 is one of the few galaxies outside the Local Group moving toward us. It is speeding through the Virgo Cluster at about 383 km/s relative to the cluster center, and its trajectory has it currently heading in our direction. M90 is classified as 'anemic' — it has less gas than typical spirals, which is being stripped by its high-speed passage through the hot intracluster medium.
Community Photos (1)
Credit: Judy Schmidt from USA. License: CC BY 2.0. (Wikimedia Commons)
Skybred Feb 28, 2026