IC 4401 is a mixed spiral galaxy in Virgo, 345 million light-years away
IC 4401 is a mixed spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo , 345 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 14.0 and spans 1.5′ × 36″ of sky, about 150,600 light-years across. It is faint: a 10-inch or larger telescope, or a camera, and it is highest in the evening sky in June.
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 4401 from Spica
Spica
IC 4401
VIRGO
IC 4401 lies 15.0° northeast of Spica , the magnitude 1.0 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
IC 4401 is highest in the evening in June
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -29° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -16° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -2° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 12° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 22° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 25° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 20° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 9° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -6° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -20° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -31° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -34° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -36° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -19° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -2° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 17° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 31° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 35° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 28° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 13° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -6° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -25° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -40° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -44° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -43° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -22° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -1° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 22° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 39° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 45° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 36° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 17° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -6° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -28° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -48° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -54° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -48° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -24° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 0° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 47° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 55° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 43° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 20° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -6° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -31° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -55° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -64° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -53° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -25° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 1° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 29° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 54° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 65° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 49° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 23° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -6° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -33° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -61° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -74° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -55° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -25° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 2° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 32° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 59° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 75° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 54° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 25° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -5° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -34° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -64° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -83° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -55° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -25° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 33° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 63° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 84° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 57° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 26° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -4° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -34° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -64° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -84° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -53° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -23° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 4° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 34° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 63° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 83° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 57° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 27° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -3° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -32° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -61° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -75° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -48° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -21° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 4° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 33° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 59° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 74° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 54° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 26° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -55° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -65° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -42° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -19° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 5° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 31° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 54° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 64° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 50° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 25° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -1° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -26° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -48° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -55° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -35° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -16° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 5° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 28° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 47° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 54° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 44° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 23° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -0° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -22° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -40° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -45° 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 86°N.
IC 4401 is 345 million light-years away
The light seen from IC 4401 tonight left it about 345 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of IC 4401
43 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 5506, mixed spiral galaxy, 2.0° NGC 5507, lenticular galaxy, 2.0° NGC 5493, lenticular galaxy, 2.1° NGC 5634, globular cluster, 2.9° NGC 5534, early spiral galaxy, 3.0° NGC 5468, mixed spiral galaxy, 3.3° NGC 5584, mixed spiral galaxy, 4.2° NGC 5427, mixed spiral galaxy, 4.3°
IC 4401 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Virgo Designations IC 4401, 2MASX J14192507-0429208, MCG -01-36-015, PGC 051173 Type mixed spiral galaxy (SABa) Right ascension (J2000) 14h 19.4m Declination (J2000) -04° 29′ Magnitude 14.0 Surface brightness 23.5 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 1.5′ × 36″ Position angle 10° True size 150,600 light-years Distance 345 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Radial velocity 6,940 km/s, redshift 0.0234 Best with Large telescope Best month June Catalog page IC 4001 to 4500
