Galaxy · Spiral
M99
M99 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Coma Berenices, 49.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Coma Berenices |
| Distance | 49.6 million light-years (15.20 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 88,100 light-years · 1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.20 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.71 |
| Luminosity | 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 18m 49.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | +14° 24′ 58″ |
| Source | Compiled catalogue (NED, approximate values) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.71. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 76° S. North of latitude 76° 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 50 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 879.4 billion years.