Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 4704
NGC 4704 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Canes Venatici, 379.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Canes Venatici |
| Distance | 379.0 million light-years (116.20 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 168,800 light-years · 1.9 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.74 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.59 |
| Luminosity | 2.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 48m 46.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | +41° 55′ 17″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.59. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 48° S. North of latitude 48° N 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 379 million years ago. At that time complex animals were spreading through the seas and over the land; there were no dinosaurs yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 6,723.1 billion years.