Galaxy · Spiral
IC 4998
IC 4998 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, 312.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Sagittarius |
| Distance | 312.2 million light-years (95.71 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 165,200 light-years · 1.9 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.61 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.29 |
| Luminosity | 1.9 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 20h 22m 10.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | −38° 18′ 30″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.29. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 52° N. South of latitude 52° 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 312 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 5,537.6 billion years.