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.
