The sky around NGC 2434 at true scale, north up and east left, with stars to magnitude 8. The circles show the field of a low-power eyepiece and of 10×50 binoculars.
NGC 2434 is an elliptical galaxy (E) in Volans, 70 million light-years away
NGC 2434 (ESO 059-005, PGC 21325) is an elliptical galaxy (E) in the constellation Volans, 70 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 11.3 and spans 2.7′ × 2.2′ of sky, about 55,300 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in February.
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 2434 from Miaplacidus
NGC 2434 lies 8.6° west of Miaplacidus, the magnitude 1.7 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
NGC 2434 is highest in the evening in February
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 southern hemisphere and north to about 21°N, and never sets south of 21°S.
NGC 2434 is 70 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 2434 tonight left it about 70 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. It ranks 161 of 422 by distance among the galaxies on Go Astronomy. Distance source: SBF, Tonry 2001.
Objects within 6° of NGC 2434
No other Messier, Caldwell or Herschel 400 object lies within 6°.
