Galaxy · Elliptical
IC 745
IC 745 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 53.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 53.4 million light-years (16.36 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 15,800 light-years · 0.18 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −17.01 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.06 |
| Luminosity | 0.028 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 54m 12.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +0° 08′ 12″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.06. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 90° 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 53 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 946.6 billion years.