NGC 4173 is a barred spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices, 40 million light-years away
NGC 4173 (PGC 038897) is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices , 40 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 13.3 and spans 2.3′ × 31″ of sky, about 27,500 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 NGC 4173 from Cor Caroli
Cor Caroli
NGC 4173
COMA BERENICES
NGC 4173 lies 12.8° southwest of Cor Caroli , the magnitude 2.9 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
NGC 4173 is highest in the evening in May
JAN
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 14° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 28° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 42° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 55° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 59° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 51° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 37° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 22° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 10° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 1° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -1° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 4° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 9° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 26° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 44° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 62° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 69° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 56° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 38° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 19° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 3° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -8° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -11° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -5° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 3° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 23° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 44° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 67° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 79° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 59° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 37° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 14° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -5° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -17° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -21° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -13° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -3° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 20° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 42° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 68° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 86° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 59° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 34° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 10° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -12° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -26° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -31° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -22° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -9° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 16° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 39° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 66° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 80° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 57° 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: -18° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -35° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -40° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -30° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -15° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 11° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 35° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 60° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 70° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 52° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 27° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 0° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -25° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -44° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -50° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -38° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -20° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 6° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 30° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 52° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 60° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 45° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 22° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -5° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -31° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -53° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -60° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -45° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -25° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 1° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 24° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 44° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 51° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 38° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 16° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -10° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -36° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -60° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -70° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -52° 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: 17° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 35° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 41° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 30° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 10° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -14° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -40° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -66° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -79° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -56° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -33° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -9° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 11° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 26° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 31° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 22° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 4° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -18° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -43° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -69° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -85° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -59° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -35° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -13° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 4° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 17° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 21° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 13° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -2° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -22° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -45° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -67° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -78° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -59° 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 61°S, and never sets north of 61°N.
NGC 4173 is 40 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 4173 tonight left it about 40 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of NGC 4173
332 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 4169, lenticular galaxy, 2′ NGC 4136, late spiral galaxy, 59′ NGC 4245, lenticular galaxy, 1.2° NGC 4150, lenticular galaxy, 1.3° NGC 4104, lenticular galaxy, 1.6° NGC 4251, lenticular galaxy, 1.6° NGC 4274, barred spiral galaxy, 1.7° NGC 4278, elliptical galaxy, 1.7°
NGC 4173 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Coma Berenices Designations NGC 4173, PGC 038897, MCG +05-29-033, SDSS J121221.45+291225.3, UGC 07204 Type barred spiral galaxy (SBcd) Right ascension (J2000) 12h 12.4m Declination (J2000) +29° 12′ Magnitude 13.3 (B 13.0) Surface brightness 22.9 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 2.3′ × 31″ Position angle 134° True size 27,500 light-years Distance 40 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Radial velocity 1,123 km/s, redshift 0.00375 Best with Large telescope Best month May Catalog page NGC 4001 to 4500
