Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 4008
NGC 4008 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 168.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 168.7 million light-years (51.71 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 115,000 light-years · 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.55 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.02 |
| Luminosity | 1.8 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 58m 17.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +28° 11′ 33″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.02. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 62° S. North of latitude 62° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in March, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 169 million years ago. At that time dinosaurs ruled the Earth. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 2,991.8 billion years.