NGC 4559 is a spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices, 28 million light-years away
NGC 4559 (Caldwell 36, Herschel 400 no. 259, PGC 42002, UGC 7766) is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices , 28 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 9.9 and spans 11′ × 4.8′ of sky, about 89,600 light-years across. It is visible in 10×50 or larger binoculars, and it is highest in the evening sky in May.
Galaxy: a system of billions of stars, gas and dust held together by gravity, far outside the Milky Way. Spiral galaxies have a disk with arms; elliptical galaxies are smooth, round or oval swarms of older stars.
Finding NGC 4559 from Cor Caroli
Cor Caroli
NGC 4559
COMA BERENICES
NGC 4559 lies 11.2° southwest of Cor Caroli , the magnitude 2.9 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
NGC 4559 is highest in the evening in May
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 11° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 25° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 38° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 52° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 58° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 52° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 39° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 24° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 11° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 1° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -2° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 1° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 5° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 22° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 39° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 58° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 68° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 59° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 41° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 21° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 4° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -8° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -12° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -8° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -2° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 18° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 39° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 62° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 78° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 63° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 41° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 18° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -2° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -16° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -22° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -17° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -8° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 14° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 37° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 63° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 88° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 64° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 39° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 14° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -9° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -25° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -32° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -25° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -14° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 10° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 34° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 61° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 82° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 62° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 36° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 10° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -15° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -34° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -42° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -34° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -20° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 6° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 30° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 56° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 72° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 57° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 32° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 5° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -21° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -42° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -52° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -42° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -26° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 1° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 25° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 49° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 62° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 50° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 27° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 0° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -26° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -50° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -62° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -50° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -31° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -4° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 20° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 42° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 52° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 43° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 22° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -4° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -31° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -56° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -72° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -57° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -35° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -8° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 14° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 34° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 42° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 34° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 16° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -9° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -35° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -61° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -82° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -62° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -38° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -13° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 8° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 25° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 32° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 26° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 9° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -13° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -38° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -63° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -88° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -64° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -39° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -17° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 1° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 16° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 22° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 17° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 3° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -17° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -40° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -62° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -78° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -63° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole northern hemisphere and south to about 62°S, and never sets north of 62°N.
NGC 4559 is 28 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 4559 tonight left it about 28 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. It ranks 92 of 109 by distance among the 109 Caldwell objects. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of NGC 4559
NGC 4448, galaxy, 1.8° C38 Needle Galaxy, spiral galaxy, 2.0° NGC 4494, galaxy, 2.4° NGC 4314, galaxy, 3.5° NGC 4278, galaxy, 3.7° NGC 4414, galaxy, 3.9° NGC 4274, galaxy, 3.9° NGC 4251, galaxy, 3.9°
NGC 4559 catalog data
Field Value
Designations Caldwell 36, NGC 4559, Herschel 400 no. 259, PGC 42002, UGC 7766 Type spiral galaxy Constellation Coma Berenices Right ascension (J2000) 12h 36.0m Declination (J2000) +27° 58′ Magnitude 9.9 Surface brightness 23.5 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 11′ × 4.8′ True size 89,600 light-years Distance 28 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Best month May Best with Large binoculars Herschel 400 number 259
