C21
NGC 4449
Object Data
- Catalog Designation
- C21
- Type
- Galaxy
- Constellation
- Canes Venatici
- Magnitude
- 9.4
- Right Ascension
- 12h 28m 11.0s
- Declination
- +44° 05' 34.8"
- Distance
- 10,000,000 light-years
- Angular Size
- 6
Survey Image
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About C21
Description
NGC 4449 is an irregular dwarf galaxy in Canes Venatici, about 12 million light-years away. It is undergoing a galaxy-wide starburst, producing new stars at a prodigious rate throughout its entire body rather than just in a central region.
Observing Tips
Visible as a small, rectangular glow in a 4-inch telescope. Higher magnification reveals a mottled texture from the numerous HII regions. Best observed in spring evenings when Canes Venatici is high.
History
Discovered by William Herschel on April 27, 1788. It is considered a Magellanic-type irregular galaxy similar in many ways to the Large Magellanic Cloud.
Fun Facts
NGC 4449 is one of the best-studied starburst dwarf galaxies. It is currently consuming a smaller companion galaxy, making it one of the few cases where dwarf galaxy cannibalism has been directly observed.
Community Photos (1)
Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Aloisi (STScI/ESA), and The Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration. License: Public domain. (Wikimedia Commons)
Skybred Mar 2, 2026
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