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IC 3100

Proper NameNone
Messier NumberNone
NGC/IC NumberIC 3100
ConstellationVirgo
Right Ascension12h 17m 6s
Declination+12° 17' 23"
Distancec.12,400,000 light years
c.3,800,000 parsecs
(based on redshift, but see note below)
MagnitudeApparent: +15.08
Absolute: -14.30
DiameterApparent: 1.4'
Actual: c. 13,000 light years (very approximate value)
Hubble TypedS0 Dwarf Lenticular Galaxy
Optimum VisibilityApril
NotesIC 3100 is a member of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies, a vast grouping that is gradually moving towards the Milky Way's Local Group. This means that the typical redshift calculation used to estimate galactic distances is difficult to apply to IC 3100, and the distance estimate above (based on its redshift value) is likely to be highly conservative. Its true distance from the Milky Way is probably rather greater, and as a member of the Virgo Cluster its true distance may be as high as fifty million light years or more.

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