Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 6398
NGC 6398 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pavo, 249.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pavo |
| Distance | 249.9 million light-years (76.63 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 140,100 light-years · 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.18 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.24 |
| Luminosity | 3.3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 17h 42m 43.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | −61° 41′ 39″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.24. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 28° N. South of latitude 28° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in June, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 250 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 4,433.7 billion years.