Galaxy · Lenticular
NGC 4663
NGC 4663 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 112.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Lenticular |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 112.2 million light-years (34.39 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 43,700 light-years · 0.5 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.89 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.79 |
| Luminosity | 0.39 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 44m 47.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | −10° 11′ 52″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.79. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 80° N. South of latitude 80° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in March, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 112 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 1,989.7 billion years.