Galaxy · Spiral
IC 4662A
IC 4662A is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pavo, 705.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pavo |
| Distance | 705.2 million light-years (216.21 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 366,300 light-years · 4.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.88 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.79 |
| Luminosity | 6.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 17h 51m 36.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | −64° 57′ 34″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.79. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 25° N. South of latitude 25° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in June, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 705 million years ago. At that time the Earth held only single-celled organisms and the first multicellular life. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 12,509.5 billion years.