Galaxy · Elliptical
IC 48
IC 48 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 277.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 277.7 million light-years (85.14 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 106,200 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.44 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.21 |
| Luminosity | 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 43m 34.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | −8° 11′ 11″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.21. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 82° N. It stands highest at midnight in September, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 278 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 4,926.0 billion years.