Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 2554
IC 2554 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Carina, 65.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Carina |
| Distance | 65.1 million light-years (19.96 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 76,100 light-years · 0.87 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.11 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.39 |
| Luminosity | 0.48 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 08m 50.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | −67° 01′ 51″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.39. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 23° N. South of latitude 23° S 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 65 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 1,154.8 billion years.