Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 4356
NGC 4356 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 49.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 49.1 million light-years (15.06 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 39,800 light-years · 0.46 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −18.31 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.58 |
| Luminosity | 0.092 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 24m 14.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | +8° 32′ 09″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.58. 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 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.