Galaxy · Spiral
IC 4
IC 4 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pegasus, 233.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pegasus |
| Distance | 233.2 million light-years (71.49 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 105,700 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.89 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.38 |
| Luminosity | 0.99 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 13m 27.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +17° 29′ 11″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.38. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 73° S. North of latitude 73° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in September, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 233 million years ago. At that time complex animals were spreading through the seas and over the land; there were no dinosaurs yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 4,136.3 billion years.