Galaxy · Spiral
IC 668
IC 668 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 462.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 462.2 million light-years (141.70 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 108,700 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.38 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.38 |
| Luminosity | 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 06m 39.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +15° 02′ 27″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.38. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 75° S. North of latitude 75° N it never sets. 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 462 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 8,198.5 billion years.