Galaxy · Elliptical
IC 4721A
IC 4721A is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pavo, 285.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pavo |
| Distance | 285.2 million light-years (87.44 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 84,300 light-years · 0.96 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.12 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.59 |
| Luminosity | 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 18h 34m 26.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | −58° 32′ 02″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.59. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 31° N. South of latitude 31° 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 285 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 5,059.1 billion years.