Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 2499
NGC 2499 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Canis Minor, 455.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Canis Minor |
| Distance | 455.6 million light-years (139.70 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 178,700 light-years · 2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.46 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.27 |
| Luminosity | 1.7 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 7h 58m 51.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | +7° 29′ 36″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.27. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 83° S. It stands highest at midnight in January, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 456 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 8,082.8 billion years.