Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 4976
NGC 4976 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Centaurus, 67.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Distance | 67.7 million light-years (20.76 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 127,700 light-years · 1.5 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.60 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.99 |
| Luminosity | 1.9 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 13h 08m 37.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | −49° 30′ 23″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.99. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 40° N. South of latitude 40° 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 68 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 1,201.1 billion years.