Galaxy · Irregular
KK 55
KK 55 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Puppis, 25.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Irregular |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Puppis |
| Distance | 25.0 million light-years (7.65 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 5,414 light-years · 0.062 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −14.30 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 15.12 |
| Luminosity | 0.0023 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 6h 39m 32.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | −40° 43′ 13″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 15.12. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 49° N. South of latitude 49° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in December, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 25 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 442.6 billion years.