Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 4457
NGC 4457 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 41.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 41.1 million light-years (12.60 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 34,700 light-years · 0.4 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.83 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 10.67 |
| Luminosity | 0.37 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 28m 59.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +3° 34′ 14″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 10.67. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 86° 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 41 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 729.0 billion years.