Galaxy · Irregular
WLM
WLM is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 3.03 million light-years away.
| Type | Irregular |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 3.03 million light-years (930.0 kpc) |
| Diameter | 10,100 light-years · 0.12 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −14.20 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 10.64 |
| Luminosity | 0.0021 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 01m 58.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | −15° 27′ 40″ |
| Source | Compiled catalogue (NED, approximate values) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 10.64. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 75° N. South of latitude 75° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in September, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 3.0 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 53.8 billion years.