Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 4431
NGC 4431 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 49.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 49.3 million light-years (15.13 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 30,300 light-years · 0.35 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −17.40 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.50 |
| Luminosity | 0.04 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 27m 27.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | +12° 17′ 25″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.50. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 78° S. North of latitude 78° 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 875.4 billion years.