Galaxy · Spiral
IC 4951
IC 4951 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pavo, 32.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pavo |
| Distance | 32.0 million light-years (9.80 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 29,200 light-years · 0.33 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −17.00 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.96 |
| Luminosity | 0.028 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 20h 09m 31.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | −61° 51′ 02″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.96. 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 32 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 567.0 billion years.