Right ascension 12 00 23.643 Helio radial velocity 1,465 km/s Apparent size (V) 3′.8 × 2′.9 | Declination –01° 05′ 59.87″ Type SA(s)bc Magnitude 10.6 Apparent magnitude (V) 10.6 | |
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Distance 63.6 ± 4.9 Mly (19.5 ± 1.5 Mpc) Similar NGC 4041, NGC 4429, NGC 4309, NGC 4102, NGC 4036 | ||
NGC 4030 is a grand design spiral galaxy located about 64 million light years away in the constellation Virgo. With an apparent visual magnitude of 10.6, it is visible with a small telescope as a 3 arc minute wide feature about 4.75° to the southeast of the star Beta Virginis. It is inclined by an angle of 47.1° to the line of sight from the Earth and is receding at a velocity of 1,465 km/s.
The morphological classification of NGC 4030 in the De Vaucouleurs system is SA(s)bc, which indicates a spiral structure (SA) with no bar (s) and moderate to loosely wound arms (bc). The inner part of the galaxy shows a complex structure with multiple spiral arms, which becomes a symmetric, double arm pattern beyond 49″ from the core. The central bulge is relatively young with an estimated age of two billion years, while the nucleus is inactive.
In 2007, a supernova explosion was discovered in the galaxy from images taken on February 19 from the 1 m Swope telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. Designated SN 2007aa, it was a type IIP supernova positioned 68″.5 north and 60″.8 east of the galactic nucleus. The progenitor was a red giant star with 8.5–16.5 times the mass of the Sun.