IC 4218 is a spiral galaxy in Virgo, 272 million light-years away
IC 4218 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo , 272 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 14.7 and spans 1.2′ × 18″ of sky, about 94,800 light-years across. It is faint: a 10-inch or larger telescope, or a camera, 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 IC 4218 from Spica
Spica
IC 4218
VIRGO
IC 4218 lies 9.1° north of Spica , the magnitude 1.0 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
IC 4218 is highest in the evening in May
JAN
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -21° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -7° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 7° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 20° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 27° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 26° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 17° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 3° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -12° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -24° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -32° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -30° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -26° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -8° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 10° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 27° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 37° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 35° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 23° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 5° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -14° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -31° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -42° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -39° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -31° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -8° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 13° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 34° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 46° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 44° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 29° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 7° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -17° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -37° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -51° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -48° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -35° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -9° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 15° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 39° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 56° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 53° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 33° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 8° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -18° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -43° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -61° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -57° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -38° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -9° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 16° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 44° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 65° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 61° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 37° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 9° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -19° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -47° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -70° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -64° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -39° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -9° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 18° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 47° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 73° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 67° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 40° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 10° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -20° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -49° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -77° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -69° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -40° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -9° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 18° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 49° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 78° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 71° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 41° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 11° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -20° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -49° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -80° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -70° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -38° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -9° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 19° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 49° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 76° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 69° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 41° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 11° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -19° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -48° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -74° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -67° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -36° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -8° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 18° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 46° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 69° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 64° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 39° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 11° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -18° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -44° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -66° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -61° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -32° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -7° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 17° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 42° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 60° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 57° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 36° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 10° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -16° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -40° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -56° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -53° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -28° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -6° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 16° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 37° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 51° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 48° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 32° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 10° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -14° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -34° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -47° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -44° 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 southern hemisphere and north to about 88°N.
IC 4218 is 272 million light-years away
The light seen from IC 4218 tonight left it about 272 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of IC 4218
51 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 4915, elliptical galaxy, 4.5° NGC 4941, mixed spiral galaxy, 4.6° NGC 4904, late spiral galaxy, 4.6° NGC 5147, late spiral galaxy, 4.9° NGC 4981, spiral galaxy, 5.0° NGC 4951, mixed spiral galaxy, 5.2° NGC 4995, mixed spiral galaxy, 5.9°
IC 4218 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Virgo Designations IC 4218, 2MASX J13170341-0215411, MCG +00-34-022, PGC 046254, SDSS J131703.41-021540.7, UGC 08348 Type spiral galaxy (Sbc) Right ascension (J2000) 13h 17.1m Declination (J2000) -02° 16′ Magnitude 14.7 (B 14.0) Surface brightness 22.8 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 1.2′ × 18″ Position angle 159° True size 94,800 light-years Distance 272 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Radial velocity 5,742 km/s, redshift 0.01934 Best with Large telescope Best month May Catalog page IC 4001 to 4500
