Galaxy · Spiral
IC 610
IC 610 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 54.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 54.5 million light-years (16.71 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 48,700 light-years · 0.56 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −18.29 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.82 |
| Luminosity | 0.09 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 26m 28.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | +20° 13′ 42″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.82. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 70° S. North of latitude 70° 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 55 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 966.8 billion years.