Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 4708
NGC 4708 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 194.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 194.1 million light-years (59.51 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 112,100 light-years · 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.85 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.02 |
| Luminosity | 0.95 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 49m 41.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | −11° 05′ 35″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.02. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 79° N. South of latitude 79° 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 194 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 3,443.1 billion years.