Galaxy · Elliptical
Leo I
Leo I is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 815,400 light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 815,400 light-years (250.0 kpc) |
| Diameter | 3,262 light-years · 0.037 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −12.00 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.99 |
| Luminosity | 2.8 × 10⁻⁴ × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 08m 28.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +12° 18′ 22″ |
| Source | Compiled catalogue (NED, approximate values) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.99. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 78° S. North of latitude 78° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in February, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 815 thousand years ago. At that time our ancestors were using stone tools; Homo sapiens did not exist yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 14.5 billion years.