Galaxy · Elliptical
IC 3896
IC 3896 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Centaurus, 96.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Distance | 96.2 million light-years (29.49 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 87,000 light-years · 1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.44 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 10.91 |
| Luminosity | 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 56m 43.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | −50° 20′ 49″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 10.91. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 40° N. South of latitude 40° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in April, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 96 million years ago. At that time dinosaurs ruled the Earth. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 1,706.2 billion years.