About C52
Description
NGC 4697 is an elliptical galaxy in Virgo, about 40 million light-years away. It is the brightest galaxy in the southern extension of the Virgo Cluster and has a distinctive boxy shape visible in deep images.
Observing Tips
Visible as a moderately bright, oval glow in a 6-inch telescope with a brighter center. No structure is visible visually. Best in spring evenings when Virgo is well placed.
History
Discovered by William Herschel on April 6, 1784. Chandra X-ray observations revealed a population of low-mass X-ray binaries in this galaxy.
Fun Facts
NGC 4697 contains about 170 billion stars. Planetary nebulae detected in its outer regions have been used to independently measure its distance, confirming it as a Virgo Cluster member.
Observe
1Properties
Position & Identifiers
2How easy to spot?
| Telescope | Bortle 3 | Bortle 4 | Bortle 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 mm refractor 80mm refr. | Easy | Easy | Medium+ |
| 150 mm Newton 150mm Newt. | Easy | Easy | Easy |
| Celestron C8 (203 mm SCT) C8 203mm | Easy | Easy | Easy |
Bortle 3 = rural · 4 = outer suburbs · 5 = suburbs
3Visibility
Set a location in User Settings to see visibility data.
4
Eyepiece View
5
Best Magnification
Explore
6
Surface Brightness
7
Morphology Decoder
8
Inclination & True Shape
9
Redshift
10
Size Comparator
Discover
11
Light Travel Time Machine
12
Relativistic Travel
Community Photos (1)
Credit: Own work. License: CC BY-SA 3.0. (Wikimedia Commons)
Skybred Mar 2, 2026
Nearby in the Sky
Other targets within a few degrees — pan your scope a little and keep exploring.
Visibility scores assume a 150 mm Newton at Bortle 4.
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