Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 4291
NGC 4291 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Draco, 81.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Draco |
| Distance | 81.9 million light-years (25.10 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 53,600 light-years · 0.61 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.39 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.61 |
| Luminosity | 0.63 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 20m 17.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +75° 22′ 15″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.61. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 15° S. North of latitude 15° N it never sets.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 82 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 1,452.2 billion years.