Galaxy · Elliptical
IC 4686
IC 4686 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pavo, 230.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pavo |
| Distance | 230.6 million light-years (70.69 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 69,100 light-years · 0.79 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.63 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.62 |
| Luminosity | 0.31 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 18h 13m 38.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | −57° 43′ 57″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.62. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 32° N. South of latitude 32° 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 231 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 4,090.0 billion years.