Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 4717
NGC 4717 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 217.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 217.8 million light-years (66.77 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 133,300 light-years · 1.5 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.38 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.74 |
| Luminosity | 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 50m 34.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | −9° 27′ 47″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.74. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 81° N. 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 218 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 3,863.2 billion years.