Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 4414
NGC 4414 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Coma Berenices, 33.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Coma Berenices |
| Distance | 33.4 million light-years (10.23 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 41,700 light-years · 0.48 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.21 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.84 |
| Luminosity | 0.53 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 26m 27.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +31° 13′ 25″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.84. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 59° S. North of latitude 59° 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 33 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 591.9 billion years.