Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 1298
NGC 1298 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Eridanus, 305.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Eridanus |
| Distance | 305.1 million light-years (93.54 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 127,700 light-years · 1.5 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.84 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.01 |
| Luminosity | 2.4 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 3h 20m 13.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | −2° 06′ 51″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.01. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 88° N. It stands highest at midnight in November, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 305 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 5,412.0 billion years.