Cocoon Galaxy
Scientific overview
Cocoon Galaxy is a lenticular galaxy in the constellation Virgo. It shines at apparent magnitude 13.82 and spans about 0.9 arcminutes of sky.
Observation guide
Guidance follows standard observing practice, derived from the object's real magnitude and position. A dark, moonless sky always helps.
Location in the sky
Precision measurements
Distances and velocities from SIMBAD and redshift from NED · NGC 4990
| Distance | 1.5427e+8 ly | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Physical size (major axis) | 40,388 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Physical size (minor axis) | 36,349 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Redshift (z) | 0.010574 ± 2.3000e-5 | NED · catalogued |
| Radial velocity | 3,141 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 197.322083 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | -5.272799 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Distance: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · mesDistance · dist · 2007ApJ...655..790C · distance indicator: redshift · catalogued value · source value 47.3 Mpc · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Physical size (major axis): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · derived (OpenNGC angular size × SIMBAD distance) · physical size = angular size × distance (small-angle); angular size from OpenNGC, distance from SIMBAD mesDistance · derived · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Physical size (minor axis): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · derived (OpenNGC angular size × SIMBAD distance) · physical size = angular size × distance (small-angle); angular size from OpenNGC, distance from SIMBAD mesDistance · derived · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Redshift (z): NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database · NED · ObjectLookup · Redshift · 2004A&A...416..515D · catalogued value · NED quality UUN · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Radial velocity: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · rvz_radvel · 2004MNRAS.350.1195M · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
Physical size is derived from the OpenNGC angular size and the catalogued distance (small-angle: size = angle × distance). Redshift is the object's measured redshift — a negative value is a blueshift (the galaxy is approaching, its motion dominated by local rather than cosmic expansion). Fields a source did not provide are omitted, never invented.
Other objects in Virgo
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| M 49M 49 · NGC 4472 | Elliptical galaxy | 8.28 | 10.21 |
| Sombrero GalaxyM 104 · NGC 4594 | Spiral galaxy | 8.59 | 8.45 |
| M 60M 60 · NGC 4649 | Elliptical galaxy | 8.79 | 6.78 |
| M 86M 86 · NGC 4406 | Elliptical galaxy | 8.86 | 11.53 |
| Virgo GalaxyM 87 · NGC 4486 | Elliptical galaxy | 9 | 7.11 |
| NGC 4697C 52 · NGC 4697 | Elliptical galaxy | 9.37 | 7.14 |
| NGC 4365NGC 4365 | Elliptical galaxy | 9.43 | 5.12 |
| NGC 4699NGC 4699 | Barred spiral galaxy | 9.53 | 3.99 |
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- OpenNGCOpenNGC (M. Verga) — NGC/IC, Messier, and Caldwell catalogue data
Openly-licensed deep-sky catalogue: object types, positions, magnitudes, sizes, morphology, and cross-identifiers.