Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 4424
NGC 4424 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 49.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 49.0 million light-years (15.01 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 43,500 light-years · 0.5 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −18.90 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.98 |
| Luminosity | 0.16 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 27m 11.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +9° 25′ 14″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.98. 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 868.4 billion years.