Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 4307
NGC 4307 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 52.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 52.7 million light-years (16.17 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 46,800 light-years · 0.54 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.43 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.61 |
| Luminosity | 0.26 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 22m 05.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +9° 02′ 37″ |
| 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 81° 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 53 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 935.6 billion years.