Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 4261
NGC 4261 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 54.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 54.4 million light-years (16.69 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 81,800 light-years · 0.94 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.66 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 10.45 |
| Luminosity | 0.8 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 19m 23.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +5° 49′ 29″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 10.45. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 84° S. 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 54 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 965.6 billion years.