Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 438
NGC 438 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Sculptor, 162.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Sculptor |
| Distance | 162.6 million light-years (49.86 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 64,400 light-years · 0.74 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.60 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.89 |
| Luminosity | 0.76 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 13m 34.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | −37° 54′ 06″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.89. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 52° N. South of latitude 52° S 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 163 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 2,884.8 billion years.