NGC 4480 is a mixed spiral galaxy in Virgo, 133 million light-years away
NGC 4480 is a mixed spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo , 133 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 12.4 and spans 1.9′ × 58″ of sky, about 73,200 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 4480 from Porrima
Porrima
NGC 4480
VIRGO
NGC 4480 lies 6.3° northwest of Porrima , the magnitude 2.7 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 4480 is highest in the evening in May
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -10° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 5° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 18° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 30° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 34° 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: -11° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -22° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -26° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -21° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -14° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 5° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 22° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 38° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 44° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 37° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 22° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 3° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -16° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -36° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -29° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -18° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 5° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 26° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 46° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 54° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 45° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 25° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 2° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -21° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -38° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -46° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -37° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -22° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 4° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 28° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 52° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 64° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 51° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 28° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 1° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -24° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -46° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -56° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -45° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -25° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 4° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 30° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 57° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 74° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 56° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 29° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 1° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -28° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -53° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -66° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -51° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -27° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 3° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 30° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 60° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 84° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 59° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 30° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -0° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -30° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -58° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -76° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -56° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -28° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 3° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 30° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 60° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 86° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 59° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 30° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -1° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -31° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -61° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -85° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -59° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -28° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 2° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 29° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 57° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 76° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 56° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 28° 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: -61° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -84° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -59° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -28° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 1° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 26° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 52° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 66° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 51° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 26° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -31° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -58° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -74° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -56° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -26° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 0° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 23° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 46° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 56° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 45° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 23° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -3° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -29° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -52° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -64° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -51° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -24° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -1° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 20° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 38° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 46° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 37° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 19° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -3° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -27° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -46° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -54° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -45° 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 86°S.
NGC 4480 is 133 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 4480 tonight left it about 133 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of NGC 4480
231 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 4496A, late spiral galaxy, 26′ NGC 4457, lenticular galaxy, 46′ NGC 4378, early spiral galaxy, 1.5° NGC 4527, mixed spiral galaxy, 1.8° NGC 4409, barred spiral galaxy, 2.0° NGC 4586, early spiral galaxy, 2.0° NGC 4324, lenticular galaxy, 2.1° M61 Messier 61, spiral galaxy, 2.1°
NGC 4480 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Virgo Designations NGC 4480, 2MASX J12302678+0414472, IRAS 12278+0431, MCG +01-32-087, PGC 041317, SDSS J123026.78+041447.6, SDSS J123026.78+041447.7, UGC 07647 Type mixed spiral galaxy (SABc) Right ascension (J2000) 12h 30.4m Declination (J2000) +04° 15′ Magnitude 12.4 (B 13.0) Surface brightness 22.6 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 1.9′ × 58″ Position angle 173° True size 73,200 light-years Distance 133 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Radial velocity 2,418 km/s, redshift 0.0081 Best with Large telescope Best month May Catalog page NGC 4001 to 4500
