NGC 4197 is a mixed spiral galaxy in Virgo, 85 million light-years away
NGC 4197 is a mixed spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo , 85 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 13.0 and spans 2.8′ × 44″ of sky, about 70,000 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 4197 from Zavijava
Zavijava
NGC 4197
VIRGO
NGC 4197 lies 7.2° northeast of Zavijava , the magnitude 3.6 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 4197 is highest in the evening in May
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: -7° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 8° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 21° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 32° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 36° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 30° 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: -21° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -24° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -19° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -11° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 9° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 26° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 41° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 46° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 37° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 21° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 1° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -17° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -34° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -26° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -14° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 9° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 29° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 49° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 56° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 44° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 23° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 0° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -22° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -39° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -44° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -34° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -18° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 8° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 32° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 56° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 65° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 49° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 25° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -1° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -27° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -47° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -54° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -41° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -20° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 8° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 34° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 62° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 75° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 53° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 26° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -3° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -30° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -54° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -64° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -47° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -22° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 7° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 34° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 65° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 84° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 55° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 26° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -4° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -33° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -61° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -73° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -52° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -24° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 6° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 34° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 64° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 83° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 55° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 26° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -5° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -35° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -64° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -82° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -54° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -25° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 5° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 32° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 60° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 74° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 52° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 24° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -6° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -36° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -65° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -83° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -55° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -25° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 4° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 29° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 54° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 64° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 47° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 22° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -7° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -35° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -62° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -75° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -53° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -24° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 3° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 26° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 47° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 54° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 41° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 19° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -7° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -33° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -56° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -65° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -49° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -22° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 1° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 21° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 39° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 44° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 34° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 15° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -7° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -30° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -49° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -55° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -44° 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 84°S.
NGC 4197 is 85 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 4197 tonight left it about 85 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of NGC 4197
261 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 4215, lenticular galaxy, 40′ NGC 4223, lenticular galaxy, 1.1° NGC 4261, elliptical galaxy, 1.2° NGC 4260, barred spiral galaxy, 1.2° NGC 4270, lenticular galaxy, 1.3° NGC 4273, late spiral galaxy, 1.4° NGC 4281, lenticular galaxy, 1.5° NGC 4235, early spiral galaxy, 1.5°
NGC 4197 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Virgo Designations NGC 4197, 2MASX J12143850+0548205, IRAS 12121+0605, MCG +01-31-029, PGC 039114, SDSS J121438.55+054820.6, UGC 07247 Type mixed spiral galaxy (SABc) Right ascension (J2000) 12h 14.6m Declination (J2000) +05° 48′ Magnitude 13.0 Surface brightness 23.2 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 2.8′ × 44″ Position angle 36° True size 70,000 light-years Distance 85 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Radial velocity 2,058 km/s, redshift 0.00688 Best with Large telescope Best month May Catalog page NGC 4001 to 4500
