Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 4256
NGC 4256 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Draco, 117.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Draco |
| Distance | 117.8 million light-years (36.11 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 186,500 light-years · 2.1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.65 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.14 |
| Luminosity | 2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 18m 43.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +65° 53′ 53″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.14. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 24° S. North of latitude 24° 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 118 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 2,089.3 billion years.