Galaxy · Elliptical
IC 4562
IC 4562 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Boötes, 263.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Boötes |
| Distance | 263.7 million light-years (80.86 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 102,700 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.81 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.73 |
| Luminosity | 2.3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 15h 35m 57.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +43° 29′ 36″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.73. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 47° S. North of latitude 47° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in May, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 264 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 4,678.4 billion years.