| IC 2497 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Observation data (J2000.0[1] epoch) | |
| Constellation | Leo Minor [2] |
| Right ascension | 09h41m 04.076s [1] |
| Declination | +34° 43′ 58.57″ [1] |
| Redshift | 0.051633 [1] |
| Distance | 650 Mly (199.29 Mpc) |
| Characteristics | |
| Apparent size (V) | 0.390' × 0.320' [1] |
| Other designations | |
| IRAS 09380+3457, 2MASX J09410407+3443585, IC 2497, LEDA 165538, PGC 165538 | |
IC 2497 is a spiral galaxy[3] close to the intergalactic cloud Hanny's Voorwerp.[1] The galaxy is a former quasar, whose light lit up Hanny's Voorwerp, which is now a light echo of that extinct quasar.[4] It is about 45,000–70,000 light-years (14,000–21,000 pc) away from Hanny's Voorwerp.[5] The quasar shut down sometime in the last 70,000 years.[6] This revises current theories of quasar operation, as the quasar is quiescent, shutting down much faster than was thought possible,[7] and is much cooler than predicted.[5] The galaxy is currently 100 to 10,000 times dimmer than it was when its quasar burned into Hanny's Voorwerp.[8]
One supernova has been observed in IC 2497: SN 2020ilb (type Ia, mag. 19) was discovered on 29 April 2020.[9]
Media related to IC 2497 at Wikimedia Commons
