Galaxy · Lenticular
IC 2466
IC 2466 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 452.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Lenticular |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 452.8 million light-years (138.84 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 182,600 light-years · 2.1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.14 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.57 |
| Luminosity | 3.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 9h 23m 45.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +24° 31′ 06″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.57. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 65° S. North of latitude 65° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in February, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 453 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 8,033.0 billion years.