Galaxy · Elliptical
IC 2178
IC 2178 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Gemini, 345.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Gemini |
| Distance | 345.9 million light-years (106.04 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 102,900 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.41 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.72 |
| Luminosity | 0.64 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 7h 07m 37.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | +32° 30′ 45″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.72. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 57° S. North of latitude 57° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in January, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 346 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 6,135.3 billion years.