Galaxy · Lenticular
M85
M85 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Coma Berenices, 55.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Lenticular |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Coma Berenices |
| Distance | 55.1 million light-years (16.90 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 133,900 light-years · 1.5 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.91 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.23 |
| Luminosity | 2.5 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 25m 24.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +18° 11′ 28″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.23. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 72° S. North of latitude 72° 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 977.8 billion years.