Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 398
NGC 398 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pisces, 231.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Distance | 231.9 million light-years (71.11 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 60,400 light-years · 0.69 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.81 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.45 |
| Luminosity | 0.37 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 08m 53.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | +32° 30′ 52″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.45. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 57° S. North of latitude 57° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in October, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 232 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 4,114.3 billion years.