Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 4143
NGC 4143 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Canes Venatici, 44.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Canes Venatici |
| Distance | 44.7 million light-years (13.69 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 36,900 light-years · 0.42 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.63 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.05 |
| Luminosity | 0.31 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 09m 36.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +42° 32′ 03″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.05. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 47° S. North of latitude 47° 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 45 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 792.1 billion years.