Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 2538
NGC 2538 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Canis Minor, 186.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Canis Minor |
| Distance | 186.3 million light-years (57.13 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 101,100 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.26 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.52 |
| Luminosity | 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 8h 11m 23.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +3° 37′ 59″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.52. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 86° 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 186 million years ago. At that time dinosaurs ruled the Earth. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 3,305.4 billion years.