Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 2663
NGC 2663 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pyxis, 97.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pyxis |
| Distance | 97.9 million light-years (30.03 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 154,400 light-years · 1.8 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.50 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.89 |
| Luminosity | 4.4 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 8h 45m 08.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | −33° 47′ 41″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.89. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 56° N. South of latitude 56° S it never sets. 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 98 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 1,737.5 billion years.