---
title: "NGC 4214"
url: "https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-4214"
release: "DR1"
licence: "CC-BY-SA-4.0"
citation: "SpaceCatalog. NGC 4214 [catalogue entry]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-4214"
---

# NGC 4214

NGC 4214 is an irregular [galaxy](https://spacecatalog.org/galaxies) I in the constellation [Canes Venatici](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/canes-venatici), shining at apparent magnitude 9.77 (V). Other catalogues list it as 2MASX J12153917+3619368, IRAS 12131+3636 and IRAS F12131+3636, among 9 designations in total. It was discovered in 1785.

## At a glance

- **WHAT IT IS:** Irregular galaxy
- **HOW BIG ON THE SKY:** 6.8′ — About 0.2 of the full Moon's width.
- **HOW BRIGHT (V):** 9.77 — A small telescope reaches it.
- **WHERE TO LOOK:** [Canes Venatici](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/canes-venatici) — The patch of sky it sits in, as seen from Earth.

## Properties

| Quantity | Value |
| --- | --- |
| CLASS | Irregular galaxy I |
| APPARENT MAGNITUDE (V) | 9.77 |
| CONSTELLATION | Canes Venatici |
| RIGHT ASCENSION (J2000) | 12h 15m 39.2s |
| DECLINATION (J2000) | +36° 19′ 36.8″ |
| DISCOVERED | 1785 |

## Catalogue data

### WHAT KIND OF THING IT IS

What the object is in itself, rather than how it happens to look from here.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Hubble type | I |

### HOW BRIGHT IT IS

What the light adds up to, measured through one filter at a time. A magnitude is a brightness on a backwards scale — the smaller the number, the brighter the object.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Apparent magnitude (B) | 10.21 |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 9.77 |
| Apparent magnitude (J) | 8.71 |
| Apparent magnitude (H band) | 8.06 |
| Apparent magnitude (K) | 7.91 |
| Surface brightness | 22.88 mag/arcsec² |

### WHERE IT IS AND HOW IT MOVES

Position, motion across the sky and the size it covers on it. These are measurements of the object as seen from here, so every one of them depends on where here is.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Radial velocity | 293 km/s |
| Redshift (z) | 0.000977 |
| Redshift (z, CMB frame) | 0.00183796 |
| Major axis | 6.79′ |
| Minor axis | 5.28′ |
| Position angle | 128° |

### WHEN IT WAS FOUND

Who first saw it, from where, and by what method.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Discovered by | William Herschel |

### OTHER NAMES AND NUMBERS

The identifiers other catalogues file this object under, for anyone joining this data to theirs.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| OpenNGC type code | G |
| Wikidata item | Q842507 |
| Wikipedia article | NGC 4214 |

## Also known as

- 2MASX: 2MASX J12153917+3619368
- IRAS: IRAS 12131+3636
- IRAS: IRAS F12131+3636
- LEDA: LEDA 39225
- MCG: MCG +06-27-042
- NGC: NGC 4214
- NGC: NGC 4228
- PGC: PGC 39225
- UGC: UGC 7278

## Source

[OpenNGC](https://github.com/mattiaverga/OpenNGC) — CC-BY-SA-4.0

The producer asks: OpenNGC, Mattia Verga (github.com/mattiaverga/OpenNGC). Fields derived from it stay under CC BY-SA 4.0.

How this was made: https://spacecatalog.org/methods#source-openngc

## Cite this page

SpaceCatalog. NGC 4214 \[catalogue entry\]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-4214

```bibtex
@misc{spacecatalog_ngc-4214,
  author       = {{SpaceCatalog}},
  title        = {{NGC 4214}},
  howpublished = {SpaceCatalog, data release DR1 (2026-08-21)},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-4214},
  note         = {Catalogue entry, data release DR1 (2026-08-21). Values from OpenNGC.}
}
```

OpenNGC — CC-BY-SA-4.0

Acknowledgement the producer asks for: OpenNGC, Mattia Verga (github.com/mattiaverga/OpenNGC). Fields derived from it stay under CC BY-SA 4.0.

The page itself, with its pictures, the sky map and the observing tools: https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-4214