Galaxy · Spiral
IC 4747
IC 4747 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pavo, 251.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pavo |
| Distance | 251.1 million light-years (77.00 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 102,500 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.99 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.44 |
| Luminosity | 0.43 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 18h 45m 57.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | −72° 37′ 48″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.44. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 17° N. South of latitude 17° 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 251 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 4,455.1 billion years.