Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 4956
NGC 4956 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Canes Venatici, 221.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Canes Venatici |
| Distance | 221.3 million light-years (67.86 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 42,300 light-years · 0.48 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.36 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.80 |
| Luminosity | 1.5 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 13h 05m 01.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +35° 10′ 41″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.80. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 55° S. North of latitude 55° N 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 221 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 3,926.2 billion years.