The sky around IC 4391, 3° across, north up IC 4388 IC 4393 low-power eyepiece, 1° NE 1°
The sky around IC 4391 at true scale, north up and east left, with stars to magnitude 8 and the NGC and IC objects in the field. The circles show the field of a low-power eyepiece and of 10×50 binoculars.

IC 4391 · ESO 446-041

IC 4391

Early spiral galaxy in Centaurus

Early spiral galaxy in Centaurus.

CENTAURUS

The box shows where IC 4391 sits in Centaurus.

Constellation
CentaurusCen
Magnitude
14.0visual
Size
59″ × 42″apparent
Distance
-light-years
Best month
Juneat 9 pm
Best with
Large telescope

IC 4391 is an early spiral galaxy in Centaurus

IC 4391 (ESO 446-041) is an early spiral galaxy in the constellation Centaurus. It shines at magnitude 14.0 and spans 59″ × 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 4391 from Menkent

Menkent IC 4391 CENTAURUS

IC 4391 lies 5.1° northeast of Menkent, the magnitude 2.1 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.

IC 4391 is highest in the evening in June

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC 60°N JAN at 60°N: -53° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -39° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -25° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -12° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -4° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -2° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -6° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -16° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -29° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -44° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -57° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -62° high at 9 pm 50°N JAN at 50°N: -58° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -39° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -22° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -5° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 5° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 8° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 3° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -10° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -27° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -45° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -64° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -71° high at 9 pm 40°N JAN at 40°N: -60° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -37° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -17° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 2° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 14° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 18° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 12° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -3° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -23° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -45° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -68° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -81° high at 9 pm 30°N JAN at 30°N: -60° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -34° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -12° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 9° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 23° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 28° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 20° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 3° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -19° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -43° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -69° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -86° high at 9 pm 20°N JAN at 20°N: -56° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -30° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -7° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 16° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 33° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 38° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 29° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 10° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -14° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -39° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -65° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -78° high at 9 pm 10°N JAN at 10°N: -51° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -26° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -2° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 22° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 41° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 48° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 37° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 16° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -9° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -34° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -58° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -68° high at 9 pm 0° JAN at 0°: -44° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -20° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 29° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 50° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 58° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 45° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 22° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -4° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -29° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -51° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -58° high at 9 pm 10°S JAN at 10°S: -36° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -14° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 8° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 34° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 57° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 68° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 52° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 27° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 1° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -23° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -42° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -48° high at 9 pm 20°S JAN at 20°S: -28° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -8° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 13° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 39° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 64° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 78° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 58° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 32° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 6° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -16° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -33° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -38° high at 9 pm 30°S JAN at 30°S: -20° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -2° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 18° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 43° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 67° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 86° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 61° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 36° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 11° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -9° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -24° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -28° high at 9 pm 40°S JAN at 40°S: -11° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 4° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 22° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 45° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 67° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 81° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 62° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 38° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 16° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -2° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -15° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -18° 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 58°N, and never sets south of 58°S.

The distance to IC 4391 is not well measured

No reliable distance has been measured for it yet.

Objects within 6° of IC 4391

30 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:

IC 4391 catalog data

FieldValue
ConstellationCentaurus
DesignationsIC 4391, ESO 446-041, 2MASX J14162704-3141058, ESO-LV 446-0410, IRAS 14135-3127, MCG -05-34-005, PGC 050988
Typeearly spiral galaxy (Sab)
Right ascension (J2000)14h 16.5m
Declination (J2000)-31° 41′
Magnitude14.0
Surface brightness22.9 mag/arcmin²
Apparent size59″ × 42″
Position angle55°
Radial velocity2,880 km/s, redshift 0.00965
Best withLarge telescope
Best monthJune
Catalog pageIC 4001 to 4500