Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 4491
NGC 4491 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 57.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 57.1 million light-years (17.51 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 41,600 light-years · 0.48 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −18.45 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.77 |
| Luminosity | 0.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 30m 57.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +11° 29′ 01″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.77. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 79° S. North of latitude 79° 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 57 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 1,013.1 billion years.