Galaxy · Elliptical
IC 2938
IC 2938 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 1.12 billion light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 1.12 billion light-years (344.06 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 417,500 light-years · 4.8 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −23.69 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.99 |
| Luminosity | 13 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 35m 36.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +13° 40′ 51″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.99. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 76° S. North of latitude 76° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in March, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 1.1 billion years ago. At that time the Earth held only single-celled organisms and the first multicellular life. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 19,906.6 billion years.