Elliptical galaxy · Andromeda
NGC 404 Mirach's Ghost
mag 10.63.4′ across
About
NGC 404 (Mirach's Ghost) is an elliptical galaxy of magnitude 10.6 in Andromeda, about 3.4′ across.
How to find it
- NGC 404 is in the constellation Andromeda.
- Best evenings: around late November it is highest at about 9 pm (10 pm in summer time); a month earlier, two hours later.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from north of 44° S.
When it rises and sets tonight, how high it climbs and how much the Moon gets in the way are worked out in your browser for your place.
What you will see
- EyesNot visible to the naked eye.
- Binoculars (10×50)Too faint for binoculars.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)A smooth oval glow, brightening towards the centre.
For a dark country sky with no Moon. From a city, faint galaxies and nebulae can disappear completely.
Facts
| Designations | NGC 404, PGC 4126, UGC 718 |
|---|---|
| Type | Elliptical galaxy (E-S0) |
| Magnitude | 10.6The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Apparent size | 3.4′ × 3.4′the full Moon is 31′ across |
| Surface brightness | 22.6 mag/arcsec²Average over its disc, in the blue band: the lower the number, the easier it is to see. |
| Constellation | Andromeda |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 01h 09m 27.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +35° 43′ 05″ |
Sources and credits
Catalog data: OpenNGC by Mattia Verga, CC BY-SA 4.0, and d3-celestial by Olaf Frohn, BSD 3-Clause. All data sources →