The sky around NGC 4493, 3° across, north up NGC 4517A NGC 4517 NGC 4541 NGC 4385 low-power eyepiece, 1° NE 1°
The sky around NGC 4493 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.

NGC 4493

NGC 4493

Elliptical galaxy in Virgo

Elliptical galaxy in Virgo, 308 million light-years away.

VIRGO

The box shows where NGC 4493 sits in Virgo.

Constellation
VirgoVir
Magnitude
14.0visual
Size
1.5′ × 44″about 136,200 light-years
Distance
308 million lylight-years
Best month
Mayat 9 pm
Best with
Large telescope

NGC 4493 is an elliptical galaxy in Virgo, 308 million light-years away

NGC 4493 is an elliptical galaxy in the constellation Virgo, 308 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 14.0 and spans 1.5′ × 44″ of sky, about 136,200 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 4493 from Porrima

Porrima NGC 4493 VIRGO

NGC 4493 lies 3.3° northwest of Porrima, the magnitude 2.7 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.

NGC 4493 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: -13° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 2° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 15° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 26° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 31° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 26° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 15° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 0° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -15° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -25° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -29° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -25° high at 9 pm 50°N JAN at 50°N: -17° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 2° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 19° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 35° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 41° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 34° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 19° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -0° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -19° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -34° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -39° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -33° high at 9 pm 40°N JAN at 40°N: -21° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 2° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 23° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 42° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 51° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 42° 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: -23° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -41° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -49° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -41° high at 9 pm 30°N JAN at 30°N: -24° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 2° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 49° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 61° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 49° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -0° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -26° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -49° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -59° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -47° high at 9 pm 20°N JAN at 20°N: -26° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 2° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 28° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 55° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 71° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 54° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 28° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -0° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -29° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -55° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -69° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -53° high at 9 pm 10°N JAN at 10°N: -28° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 2° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 30° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 59° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 81° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 58° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 29° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -1° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -31° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -59° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -79° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -57° high at 9 pm 0° JAN at 0°: -28° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 2° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 30° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 60° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 89° 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°: -88° 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: 59° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 79° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 58° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 29° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -1° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -31° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -60° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -81° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -58° high at 9 pm 20°S JAN at 20°S: -27° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 2° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 28° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 55° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 69° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 54° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 28° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -1° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -29° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -56° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -71° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -54° high at 9 pm 30°S JAN at 30°S: -25° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 2° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 25° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 48° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 59° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 48° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 25° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -1° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -27° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -50° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -61° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -48° 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: 22° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 41° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 49° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 41° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 22° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -1° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -24° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -43° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -51° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -42° 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 89°S.

NGC 4493 is 308 million light-years away

The light seen from NGC 4493 tonight left it about 308 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).

Objects within 6° of NGC 4493

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

NGC 4493 catalog data

FieldValue
ConstellationVirgo
DesignationsNGC 4493, 2MASX J12310835+0036496, MCG +00-32-017 NED01, PGC 041409, SDSS J123108.36+003649.3, SDSS J123108.37+003649.3, SDSS J123108.37+003649.4
Typeelliptical galaxy (E)
Right ascension (J2000)12h 31.1m
Declination (J2000)+00° 37′
Magnitude14.0
Surface brightness24.5 mag/arcmin²
Apparent size1.5′ × 44″
Position angle139°
True size136,200 light-years
Distance308 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023))
Radial velocity6,839 km/s, redshift 0.02308
Best withLarge telescope
Best monthMay
Catalog pageNGC 4001 to 4500