Galaxy · Spiral
M100
M100 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Coma Berenices, 52.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Coma Berenices |
| Distance | 52.2 million light-years (16.00 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 104,400 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.70 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.32 |
| Luminosity | 2.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 22m 55.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +15° 49′ 19″ |
| Source | Compiled catalogue (NED, approximate values) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.32. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 74° S. North of latitude 74° 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 52 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 925.7 billion years.