Galaxy · Elliptical
IC 58
IC 58 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 293.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 293.2 million light-years (89.89 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 84,700 light-years · 0.97 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.61 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.16 |
| Luminosity | 0.77 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 55m 02.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | −13° 40′ 42″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.16. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 76° N. South of latitude 76° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in October, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 293 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 5,200.9 billion years.