Galaxy · Spiral
IC 657
IC 657 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 451.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 451.4 million light-years (138.40 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 163,700 light-years · 1.9 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.53 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.18 |
| Luminosity | 1.8 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 57m 53.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | −4° 54′ 18″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.18. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 85° N. It stands highest at midnight in March, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 451 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 8,007.5 billion years.