Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 4580
IC 4580 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Corona Borealis, 445.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Corona Borealis |
| Distance | 445.8 million light-years (136.67 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 136,400 light-years · 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.42 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.26 |
| Luminosity | 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 15h 43m 14.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +28° 21′ 23″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.26. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 62° S. North of latitude 62° 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 446 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 7,907.4 billion years.