Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 4344
NGC 4344 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Coma Berenices, 49.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Coma Berenices |
| Distance | 49.1 million light-years (15.06 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 20,700 light-years · 0.24 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −17.23 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.66 |
| Luminosity | 0.034 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 23m 37.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +17° 32′ 15″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.66. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 72° S. North of latitude 72° 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 49 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 871.3 billion years.