Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 4607
NGC 4607 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 56.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 56.2 million light-years (17.22 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 44,200 light-years · 0.51 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −18.71 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.47 |
| Luminosity | 0.13 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 41m 12.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | +11° 53′ 12″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.47. 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 56 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 996.3 billion years.