Galaxy · Lenticular
IC 4931
IC 4931 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, 279.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Lenticular |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Sagittarius |
| Distance | 279.9 million light-years (85.83 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 205,900 light-years · 2.4 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.93 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.74 |
| Luminosity | 6.5 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 20h 00m 50.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | −38° 34′ 30″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.74. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 51° N. South of latitude 51° 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 280 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 4,965.9 billion years.