Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 850
IC 850 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 252.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 252.2 million light-years (77.31 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 84,600 light-years · 0.97 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.10 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.34 |
| Luminosity | 0.48 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 13h 07m 50.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | −0° 52′ 06″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.34. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 89° N. It stands highest at midnight in April, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 252 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 4,473.0 billion years.