Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 4688
NGC 4688 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 46.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 46.0 million light-years (14.09 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 20,200 light-years · 0.23 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −16.69 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.05 |
| Luminosity | 0.021 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 47m 46.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | +4° 20′ 10″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.05. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 86° S. It stands highest at midnight in April, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 46 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 815.2 billion years.