NGC 4904 is a late spiral galaxy in Virgo, 56 million light-years away
NGC 4904 is a late spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo , 56 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 11.9 and spans 2′ × 1.2′ of sky, about 32,200 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, 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 4904 from Porrima
Porrima
NGC 4904
VIRGO
NGC 4904 lies 5.0° east of Porrima , the magnitude 2.7 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 4904 is highest in the evening in May
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -17° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -3° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 11° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 24° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 30° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 27° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 18° 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: -30° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -27° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -22° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -3° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 14° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 31° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 40° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 36° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 23° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 4° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -15° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -31° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -40° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -36° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -27° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -4° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 17° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 38° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 49° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 45° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 28° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 5° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -18° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -38° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -50° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -45° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -30° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -4° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 19° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 44° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 59° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 53° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 32° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 6° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -21° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -44° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -59° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -53° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -33° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -5° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 21° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 49° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 69° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 60° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 35° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 6° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -22° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -49° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -69° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -60° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -35° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -5° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 22° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 52° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 78° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 65° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 37° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 7° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -23° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -52° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -78° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -65° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -36° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -5° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 22° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 53° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 83° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 67° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 37° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 7° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -24° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -53° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -84° 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: -5° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 22° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 52° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 78° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 65° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 37° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 7° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -23° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -52° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -78° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -65° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -33° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -5° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 21° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 49° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 69° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 60° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 35° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 6° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -22° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -49° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -69° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -59° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -30° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -4° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 19° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 44° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 59° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 53° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 32° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 6° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -20° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -44° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -59° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -53° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -27° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -4° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 17° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 38° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 49° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 45° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 28° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 5° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -18° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -38° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -50° 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 90°N.
NGC 4904 is 56 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 4904 tonight left it about 56 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of NGC 4904
61 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 4845, mixed spiral galaxy, 1.8° NGC 4771, late spiral galaxy, 2.3° NGC 4753, lenticular galaxy, 2.5° NGC 4900, late spiral galaxy, 2.5° NGC 4772, mixed spiral galaxy, 2.9° NGC 4666, mixed spiral galaxy, 4.0° NGC 4653, mixed spiral galaxy, 4.3° NGC 4684, lenticular galaxy, 4.4°
NGC 4904 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Virgo Designations NGC 4904, 2MASX J13005866-0001388, IRAS 12584+0014, MCG +00-33-026, PGC 044846, SDSS J130058.65-000139.3, SDSS J130058.65-000139.6, SDSS J130058.66-000139.1 Type late spiral galaxy (Sc) Right ascension (J2000) 13h 01.0m Declination (J2000) -00° 02′ Magnitude 11.9 (B 12.0) Surface brightness 22.4 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 2′ × 1.2′ Position angle 7° True size 32,200 light-years Distance 56 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Radial velocity 1,185 km/s, redshift 0.00396 Best with Telescope Best month May Catalog page NGC 4501 to 5000
