Galaxy · Elliptical
Carina
Carina is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Carina, 326,200 light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Carina |
| Distance | 326,200 light-years (100.0 kpc) |
| Diameter | 2,479 light-years · 0.028 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −9.60 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 10.40 |
| Luminosity | 3.0 × 10⁻⁵ × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 6h 41m 36.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | −50° 57′ 58″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 10.40. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 39° N. South of latitude 39° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in December, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 326 thousand years ago. At that time our ancestors were using stone tools; Homo sapiens did not exist yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 5.8 billion years.