IC 4387 is a mixed spiral galaxy in Centaurus
IC 4387 (ESO 271-024, ESO-LV 271-0240) is a mixed spiral galaxy in the constellation Centaurus . It shines at magnitude 14.0 and spans 1.3′ × 42″. 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 4387 from η Cen
η Cen
IC 4387
CENTAURUS
IC 4387 lies 4.2° southwest of η Cen , the magnitude 2.3 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
IC 4387 is highest in the evening in June
JAN
FEB
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APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: -63° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -48° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -35° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -23° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -16° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -18° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -27° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -39° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -54° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -68° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -74° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -65° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -46° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -30° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -16° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -4° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -9° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -20° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -35° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -53° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -72° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -83° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -63° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -42° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -24° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -8° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 3° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 6° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 1° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -12° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -30° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -50° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -71° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -85° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -58° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -37° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -18° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 0° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 12° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 16° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 10° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -5° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -24° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -45° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -66° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -75° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -52° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -31° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -11° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 8° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 22° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 26° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 19° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 3° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -17° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -39° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -58° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -66° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -44° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -24° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -4° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 16° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 31° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 36° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 28° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 10° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -11° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -32° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -50° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -56° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -36° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -17° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 24° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 40° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 46° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 37° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 18° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -4° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -24° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -41° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -46° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -27° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -9° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 10° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 31° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 49° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 56° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 45° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 25° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 3° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -17° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -32° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -36° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -18° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 17° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 38° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 58° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 66° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 53° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 32° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 10° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -9° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -22° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -26° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -9° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 6° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 23° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 44° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 65° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 76° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 60° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 38° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 17° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -1° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -13° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -16° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -0° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 13° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 29° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 49° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 70° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 85° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 64° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 43° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 23° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 8° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -3° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -6° 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 46°N, and never sets south of 46°S.
The distance to IC 4387 is not well measured
No reliable distance has been measured for it yet.
Objects within 6° of IC 4387
27 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
IC 4386, late spiral galaxy, 2′ NGC 5530, mixed spiral galaxy, 52′ NGC 5483, late spiral galaxy, 1.1° IC 4406 Retina Nebula, planetary nebula, 1.3° IC 4402, spiral galaxy, 2.6° IC 4441, mixed spiral galaxy, 3.1° NGC 5365, lenticular galaxy, 3.1° NGC 5643, late spiral galaxy, 3.2°
IC 4387 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Centaurus Designations IC 4387, ESO 271-024, ESO-LV 271-0240, MCG -07-29-010, PGC 050904 Type mixed spiral galaxy (SABm) Right ascension (J2000) 14h 15.0m Declination (J2000) -43° 59′ Magnitude 14.0 Surface brightness 23.6 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 1.3′ × 42″ Position angle 67° Best with Large telescope Best month June Catalog page IC 4001 to 4500
