Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 4551
NGC 4551 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 54.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 54.3 million light-years (16.66 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 33,300 light-years · 0.38 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.05 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.06 |
| Luminosity | 0.18 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 35m 38.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +12° 15′ 50″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.06. 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 54 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 963.9 billion years.