Observer's guide
About NGC 4697
NGC 4697 (C52) is catalogued as a galaxy in Virgo. Its J2000 position is RA 12:48:35, Dec -05:48:00, corresponding to 192.1496 degrees RA and -5.8007 degrees Dec. The local catalogue places it about 76,000,000 light-years away. Its referenced angular extent is approximately 7.57 by 5.03 arcminutes.
Observing tips
StarWatchr rates this as a hard target at magnitude 10. It is associated with spring observing, with midnight placement typically strongest around March. From 52 degrees north its theoretical meridian altitude is about 32.2 degrees; local horizons and the live altitude chart determine the practical window.
Because it is faint, use a larger aperture where possible, avoid bright Moon conditions, and use averted vision.
What to expect
The SIMBAD classification for the matched source is GiG. SIMBAD records the morphology as E. A published radial velocity value is 1210 km/s. The SIMBAD record currently connects it to 902 bibliographic references.
At roughly 7.6 arcminutes across, it benefits from a narrower field and adequate image scale. Use the listed 7.57 by 5.03 arcminute extent to check framing, and treat catalogue magnitude as integrated brightness rather than a direct measure of visual contrast.