Galaxy · Elliptical
IC 574
IC 574 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Sextans, 284.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Sextans |
| Distance | 284.6 million light-years (87.27 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 107,400 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.74 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.96 |
| Luminosity | 2.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 9h 54m 27.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | −6° 57′ 12″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.96. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 83° N. 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 285 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 5,049.3 billion years.