Galaxy · Elliptical
M59
M59 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 54.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 54.6 million light-years (16.73 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 108,500 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.18 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.94 |
| Luminosity | 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 42m 02.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +11° 38′ 49″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.94. 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 March, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 55 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 968.0 billion years.