Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 998
NGC 998 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 305.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 305.1 million light-years (93.53 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 143,500 light-years · 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.93 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.92 |
| Luminosity | 1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 37m 16.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | +7° 20′ 09″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.92. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 83° 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 305 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 5,411.5 billion years.