Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 2568
IC 2568 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo Minor, 374.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo Minor |
| Distance | 374.3 million light-years (114.76 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 126,200 light-years · 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.58 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.72 |
| Luminosity | 1.9 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 22m 30.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +36° 35′ 57″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.72. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 53° S. North of latitude 53° 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 374 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 6,639.8 billion years.