IC 4221 is a barred spiral galaxy in Virgo, 78 million light-years away
IC 4221 is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo , 78 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 13.0 and spans 1.5′ × 42″ of sky, about 35,100 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 4221 from Spica
Spica
IC 4221
VIRGO
IC 4221 lies 3.8° southwest of Spica , the magnitude 1.0 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
IC 4221 is highest in the evening in May
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -32° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -17° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -4° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 8° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 15° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 14° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 6° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -7° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -22° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -36° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -44° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -42° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -36° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -17° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 0° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 16° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 25° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 23° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 13° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -4° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -24° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -42° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -54° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -51° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -40° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -17° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 4° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 23° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 34° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 33° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 19° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -1° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -24° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -46° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -63° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -60° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -42° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -15° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 8° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 30° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 44° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 42° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 2° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -24° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -49° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -72° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -67° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -42° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -14° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 11° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 37° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 54° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 51° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 31° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 5° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -23° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -51° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -79° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -71° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -41° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -12° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 15° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 42° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 63° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 59° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 36° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 8° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -21° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -50° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -79° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -71° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -39° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -9° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 17° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 47° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 71° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 66° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 40° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 11° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -19° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -47° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -72° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -66° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -35° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -7° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 20° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 49° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 78° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 71° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 43° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 13° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -16° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -43° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -63° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -59° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -30° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -4° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 22° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 50° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 78° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 71° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 44° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 15° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -13° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -37° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -54° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -51° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -24° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -1° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 23° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 49° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 71° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 67° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 43° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 17° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -9° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -44° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -42° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -18° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 2° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 23° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 46° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 63° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 60° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 41° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 18° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -5° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -23° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -35° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -33° 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 75°N, and never sets south of 75°S.
IC 4221 is 78 million light-years away
The light seen from IC 4221 tonight left it about 78 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of IC 4221
73 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 5105, late spiral galaxy, 1.6° NGC 5044, elliptical galaxy, 1.9° NGC 5079, barred spiral galaxy, 1.9° NGC 5077, elliptical galaxy, 2.0° NGC 5054, spiral galaxy, 2.1° NGC 5037, early spiral galaxy, 2.2° NGC 4984, lenticular galaxy, 2.5° NGC 5017, elliptical galaxy, 2.5°
IC 4221 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Virgo Designations IC 4221, 2MASX J13183034-1436319, IRAS 13158-1420, MCG -02-34-021, PGC 046366 Type barred spiral galaxy (SBc) Right ascension (J2000) 13h 18.5m Declination (J2000) -14° 37′ Magnitude 13.0 Surface brightness 22.6 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 1.5′ × 42″ Position angle 167° True size 35,100 light-years Distance 78 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Radial velocity 2,897 km/s, redshift 0.00971 Best with Large telescope Best month May Catalog page IC 4001 to 4500
