Galaxy · Elliptical
IC 260
IC 260 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Perseus, 403.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Perseus |
| Distance | 403.8 million light-years (123.80 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 188,300 light-years · 2.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.83 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.63 |
| Luminosity | 5.9 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 51m 00.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +46° 57′ 18″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.63. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 43° S. North of latitude 43° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in October, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 404 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 7,162.8 billion years.