Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 488
NGC 488 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pisces, 105.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Distance | 105.9 million light-years (32.46 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 207,600 light-years · 2.4 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.70 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.86 |
| Luminosity | 5.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 21m 46.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +5° 15′ 24″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.86. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 85° S. 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 106 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 1,878.1 billion years.