M85 is extremely poor in neutral hydrogen[7] and has a very complex outer structure with shells and ripples that are thought to have been caused by a merger with another galaxy that took place between 4 and 7 billion years ago,[7] as well as a relatively young (<3 billion years old) stellar population on its centermost region, some of it in a ring, that may have been created by a late starburst.[8] Like other massive, early-type galaxies, it has different populations of globular clusters. Aside from the typical "red" and "blue" populations, there is also a population with intermediate colors and an even redder population.[6] It is likely transitioning from being a lenticular galaxy into an elliptical galaxy.[6]
While indirect methods imply that Messier 85 should contain a central supermassive black hole of around 100 million solar masses,[9]
velocity dispersion observations imply that the galaxy may entirely lack a central massive black hole.[10]
SN 1960R (typeIa, mag. 13.5), was discovered by H. S. Gates on 20 December 1960,[12] and independently discovered by Leonida Rosino on 18 January 1961.[13]
M85 has been the host of the first luminous red nova identified as such. On 7 January 7 the Lick Observatory Supernova Search (LOSS) discovered M85 OT2006-1 on the outskirts of the galaxy.[14]
SN 2020nlb (type Ia, mag. 17.436) was discovered by the ATLAS telescope in Hawaii on 25 June 2020.[15][16] This supernova got as bright as magnitude 12.[17]