Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 4604
NGC 4604 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 123.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 123.8 million light-years (37.97 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 47,500 light-years · 0.54 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −18.61 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.29 |
| Luminosity | 0.12 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 40m 45.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | −5° 18′ 09″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.29. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 85° N. 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 124 million years ago. At that time dinosaurs ruled the Earth. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 2,196.9 billion years.