Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 4698
NGC 4698 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 57.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 57.1 million light-years (17.52 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 65,200 light-years · 0.75 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.76 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 10.46 |
| Luminosity | 0.88 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 48m 22.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +8° 29′ 14″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 10.46. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 82° S. It stands highest at midnight in April, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 57 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 1,013.7 billion years.