Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 496
IC 496 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cancer, 358.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cancer |
| Distance | 358.3 million light-years (109.86 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 82,800 light-years · 0.95 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.99 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.21 |
| Luminosity | 1.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 8h 09m 44.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +25° 52′ 54″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.21. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 64° S. North of latitude 64° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in January, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 358 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 6,356.3 billion years.