Galaxy · Elliptical
LeoII
LeoII is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 684,900 light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 684,900 light-years (210.0 kpc) |
| Diameter | 2,479 light-years · 0.028 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −9.70 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.91 |
| Luminosity | 3.3 × 10⁻⁵ × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 13m 29.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +22° 09′ 17″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.91. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 68° S. North of latitude 68° N it never sets. 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 685 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 12.2 billion years.