NGC 4449 is an irregular galaxy in Canes Venatici, 14 million light-years away
NGC 4449 (Caldwell 21, Herschel 400 no. 243, PGC 40973, UGC 7592) is an irregular galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici , 14 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 9.4 and spans 4.7′ × 2.7′ of sky, about 18,600 light-years across. It is visible in 10×50 or larger binoculars, 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 4449 from Cor Caroli
Cor Caroli
NGC 4449
CANES VENATICI
NGC 4449 lies 7.8° northwest of Cor Caroli , the magnitude 2.9 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 4449 is highest in the evening in May
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 26° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 38° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 52° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 67° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 74° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 65° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 51° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 36° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 24° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 17° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 14° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 17° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 19° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 34° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 50° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 70° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 84° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 68° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 49° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 31° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 17° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 7° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 4° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 8° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 11° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 28° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 47° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 68° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 86° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 67° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 46° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 26° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 9° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -2° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -6° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -1° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 3° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 22° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 42° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 63° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 76° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 62° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 41° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 19° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 1° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -11° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -16° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -10° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -4° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 16° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 36° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 56° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 66° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 55° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 34° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 13° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -7° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -21° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -26° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -20° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -12° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 9° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 29° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 48° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 56° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 46° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 28° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 6° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -15° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -36° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -29° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -19° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 2° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 21° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 39° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 46° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 38° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 20° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -1° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -22° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -39° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -46° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -38° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -27° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -5° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 14° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 30° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 36° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 29° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 13° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -8° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -30° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -48° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -56° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -46° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -33° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -12° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 6° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 21° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 26° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 20° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 5° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -15° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -37° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -56° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -66° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -54° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -39° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -18° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -2° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 11° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 16° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 11° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -3° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -21° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -43° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -64° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -76° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -61° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -45° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -25° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -10° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 2° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 6° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 1° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -10° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -27° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -48° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -69° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -86° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -66° 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 46°S, and never sets north of 46°N.
NGC 4449 is 14 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 4449 tonight left it about 14 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. It ranks 87 of 109 by distance among the 109 Caldwell objects. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of NGC 4449
NGC 4485, galaxy, 2.4° NGC 4490, galaxy, 2.5° NGC 4346, galaxy, 3.0° M106, spiral galaxy, 3.6° NGC 4143, galaxy, 3.7° NGC 4618, galaxy, 3.8° NGC 4111, galaxy, 4.0° NGC 4051, galaxy, 4.5°
NGC 4449 catalog data
Field Value
Designations Caldwell 21, NGC 4449, Herschel 400 no. 243, PGC 40973, UGC 7592 Type irregular galaxy Constellation Canes Venatici Right ascension (J2000) 12h 28.2m Declination (J2000) +44° 06′ Magnitude 9.4 Surface brightness 21.1 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 4.7′ × 2.7′ True size 18,600 light-years Distance 14 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Best month May Best with Large binoculars Herschel 400 number 243
