NGC 4240 is an elliptical galaxy in Virgo
NGC 4240 is an elliptical galaxy in the constellation Virgo . It shines at magnitude 14.0 and spans 1.5′ × 1.3′. 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 4240 from Gienah
Gienah
NGC 4240
VIRGO
NGC 4240 lies 7.6° north of Gienah , the magnitude 2.6 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 4240 is highest in the evening in May
JAN
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APR
MAY
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SEP
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -21° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -6° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 7° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 17° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 20° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 15° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 4° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -11° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -25° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -36° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -40° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -34° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -23° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -4° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 12° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 26° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 30° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 23° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 9° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -10° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -30° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -45° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -50° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -41° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -25° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -2° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 18° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 35° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 40° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 31° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 13° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -10° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -33° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -52° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -60° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -47° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -26° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -0° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 23° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 43° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 50° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 38° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 17° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -9° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -35° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -59° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -69° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -52° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -27° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 2° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 27° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 51° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 60° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 45° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 21° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -7° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -36° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -63° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -79° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -55° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -26° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 4° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 30° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 57° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 70° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 51° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 24° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -6° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -36° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -65° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -85° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -56° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -24° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 6° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 33° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 62° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 79° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 55° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 26° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -4° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -34° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -63° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -79° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -54° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -22° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 7° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 34° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 64° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 87° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 56° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 27° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -2° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -32° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -58° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -69° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -50° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -19° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 9° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 35° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 63° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 79° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 56° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 28° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -0° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -28° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -51° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -60° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -45° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -16° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 10° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 34° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 58° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 70° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 52° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 28° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 1° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -24° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -43° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -50° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -38° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -12° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 11° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 32° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 52° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 60° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 47° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 27° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 3° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -19° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -35° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -40° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -31° 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 80°N.
The distance to NGC 4240 is not well measured
No reliable distance has been measured for it yet.
Objects within 6° of NGC 4240
36 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 4129, barred spiral galaxy, 2.3° NGC 4487, late spiral galaxy, 3.9° NGC 4504, mixed spiral galaxy, 4.4° NGC 4094, late spiral galaxy, 5.4° M104 Sombrero Galaxy, early spiral galaxy, 5.8°
NGC 4240 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Virgo Designations NGC 4240, 2MASX J12172434-0957056, MCG -02-31-029, PGC 039411 Type elliptical galaxy (E) Right ascension (J2000) 12h 17.4m Declination (J2000) -09° 57′ Magnitude 14.0 Surface brightness 23.9 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 1.5′ × 1.3′ Position angle 90° Radial velocity 1,934 km/s, redshift 0.00647 Best with Large telescope Best month May Catalog page NGC 4001 to 4500
