Galaxy · Irregular
LeoA
LeoA is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 2.64 million light-years away.
| Type | Irregular |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 2.64 million light-years (810.0 kpc) |
| Diameter | 4,436 light-years · 0.051 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −12.30 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.24 |
| Luminosity | 3.6 × 10⁻⁴ × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 9h 59m 26.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | +30° 44′ 47″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.24. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 59° S. North of latitude 59° 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 2.6 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 46.9 billion years.