Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 4166
IC 4166 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Canes Venatici, 505.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Canes Venatici |
| Distance | 505.7 million light-years (155.04 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 126,600 light-years · 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.99 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.96 |
| Luminosity | 2.7 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 13h 05m 18.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +31° 26′ 32″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.96. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 59° S. North of latitude 59° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in April, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 506 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 8,970.3 billion years.