Galaxy · Spiral
PGC 170257
PGC 170257 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 21.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 21.2 million light-years (6.50 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 6,328 light-years · 0.072 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −14.80 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.26 |
| Luminosity | 0.0036 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 13h 29m 21.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | −21° 10′ 45″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.26. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 69° N. South of latitude 69° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in April, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 21 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 376.1 billion years.