Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 4856
NGC 4856 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 63.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 63.0 million light-years (19.33 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 100,500 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.08 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 10.35 |
| Luminosity | 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 59m 21.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | −15° 02′ 32″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 10.35. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 75° N. South of latitude 75° 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 63 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 1,118.4 billion years.