Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 568
IC 568 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 406.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 406.3 million light-years (124.57 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 243,400 light-years · 2.8 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.04 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.44 |
| Luminosity | 2.9 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 9h 51m 08.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +15° 43′ 49″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.44. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 74° S. North of latitude 74° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in February, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 406 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 7,207.4 billion years.