Galaxy · Elliptical
KK 218
KK 218 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Hydra, 15.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Hydra |
| Distance | 15.0 million light-years (4.60 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 3,718 light-years · 0.043 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −11.60 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 16.71 |
| Luminosity | 1.9 × 10⁻⁴ × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 13h 46m 39.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | −29° 58′ 45″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 16.71. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 60° N. South of latitude 60° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in April, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 15 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 266.1 billion years.