Galaxy · Spiral
IC 4794
IC 4794 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pavo, 244.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pavo |
| Distance | 244.5 million light-years (74.96 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 103,500 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.80 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.57 |
| Luminosity | 2.3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 18h 57m 09.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | −62° 05′ 27″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.57. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 28° N. South of latitude 28° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in July, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 244 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 4,337.0 billion years.