Galaxy · Elliptical
M89
M89 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 51.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 51.2 million light-years (15.69 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 99,500 light-years · 1.1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.07 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.91 |
| Luminosity | 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 35m 39.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +12° 33′ 22″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.91. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 77° S. North of latitude 77° 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 51 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 907.8 billion years.