Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 4808
NGC 4808 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 35.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 35.4 million light-years (10.84 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 26,500 light-years · 0.3 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −18.24 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.94 |
| Luminosity | 0.086 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 55m 49.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +4° 18′ 15″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.94. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 86° S. 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 35 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 627.2 billion years.