Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 4696
NGC 4696 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Centaurus, 137.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Distance | 137.8 million light-years (42.26 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 209,400 light-years · 2.4 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.83 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 10.30 |
| Luminosity | 5.9 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 48m 49.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | −41° 18′ 40″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 10.30. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 49° N. South of latitude 49° S it never sets. 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 138 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 2,445.1 billion years.