Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 2475
IC 2475 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 496.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 496.2 million light-years (152.13 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 164,100 light-years · 1.9 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.83 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.08 |
| Luminosity | 2.4 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 9h 27m 54.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +29° 47′ 30″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.08. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 60° S. North of latitude 60° 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 496 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 8,801.9 billion years.