Elliptical Galaxy · Virgo

M59 NGC 4621

Magnitude
9.6
Season
Spring
Difficulty
Hard
Star-hop chart
M590.0° field0° rotation
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Imaging reference
NGC 4621 (M59) Elliptical Galaxy

Observer's guide

About NGC 4621

NGC 4621 (M59) is catalogued as an elliptical galaxy in Virgo. Its J2000 position is RA 12:42:02.24, Dec +11:38:49.3, corresponding to 190.5094 degrees RA and 11.6469 degrees Dec. The local catalogue places it about 60,000,000 light-years away. Its referenced angular extent is approximately 5.58 by 3.8 arcminutes.

Observing tips

StarWatchr rates this as a hard target at magnitude 9.6. It is associated with spring observing, with midnight placement typically strongest around March. From 52 degrees north its theoretical meridian altitude is about 49.6 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-E/S0. A published radial velocity value is 430.8 km/s. The SIMBAD record currently connects it to 725 bibliographic references.

At roughly 5.6 arcminutes across, it benefits from a narrower field and adequate image scale. Use the listed 5.58 by 3.8 arcminute extent to check framing, and treat catalogue magnitude as integrated brightness rather than a direct measure of visual contrast.

Sourced catalogue data

Scientific record

Measurements for M59 are kept separate from practical observing guidance.

Coordinates (J2000/ICRS)
RA 190.509409° · Dec 11.646919°
SIMBAD classification
GiG
Morphology
E-E/S0
Angular extent
5.58′ × 3.8′
Position angle
160°
Surface brightness
21.54 mag/arcsec²
Radial velocity
430.79 km/s
Redshift
0.001438
Linked bibliography
725 references
Best midnight placement
March
Observable latitude range
-78.4° to 90°

Source: SIMBAD astronomical database (CDS, Strasbourg) (ODbL; checked 2026-08-09). Catalogue values may change when new measurements are published.

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