Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 4274
NGC 4274 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Coma Berenices, 43.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Coma Berenices |
| Distance | 43.3 million light-years (13.29 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 86,600 light-years · 0.99 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.69 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.93 |
| Luminosity | 0.82 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 19m 50.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | +29° 36′ 53″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.93. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 60° S. North of latitude 60° 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 43 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 768.9 billion years.