Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 4742
NGC 4742 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 59.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 59.2 million light-years (18.14 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 40,500 light-years · 0.46 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.72 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.57 |
| Luminosity | 0.34 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 51m 48.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | −10° 27′ 17″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.57. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 80° N. South of latitude 80° 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 59 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 1,049.5 billion years.