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How big is IC 1101?

IC 1101 is 5 zettameter

Introduction

Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered how big the universe really is? That’s a question that even the world’s brightest scientists are still trying to figure out. But one thing they do know is that the universe is filled with gigantic galaxies, and one of the largest among them is IC 1101. In the world of galaxies, IC 1101 stands out as a real giant. This supergiant lenticular galaxy is located in the center of the Abell 2029 galaxy cluster. It’s so big, that if it was placed in our own galaxy’s location, it would swallow up our Milky Way, and still have room for several more galaxies!

Size of IC 1101

To understand the size of IC 1101, we have to understand a bit about how astronomers measure space. They use a measurement called a light-year, which is the distance that light travels in one year. It’s roughly 5.88 trillion miles! Another unit they use is a parsec, which is even bigger than a light-year. One parsec equals to about 3.26 light-years. IC 1101 has an isophotal diameter of about 123.65 to 169.61 kiloparsecs. That’s between 400,000 to 550,000 light-years across! To put that into perspective:

  • The Milky Way, our home galaxy, is only about 100,000 light-years across. So IC 1101 is about 4 to 5 times bigger! - It’s so large that if it was in our galaxy’s place, it would reach out past our closest galaxy, Andromeda, which is about 2.5 million light-years away. - The diameter of IC 1101 is about 1/18th the size of the observable universe.

Interesting Features

IC 1101 isn’t just notable for its huge size. It’s also home to a supermassive black hole. Here are some facts about this incredible feature:

  • IC 1101 hosts one of the largest known black holes. - This black hole is located in the galaxy’s diffuse core, which is the largest known core of any galaxy to date. - Black holes are regions of space where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape. They’re usually formed when a very large star collapses under its own gravity.

Conclusion

IC 1101 is a fascinating example of the mind-boggling sizes that galaxies can reach. It’s a clear reminder of how vast our universe is, filled with wonders that we’ve yet to fully understand. As we continue to study galaxies like IC 1101, we’ll keep uncovering more of the universe’s secrets, one light-year at a time.

Smaller By Category
Distance Earth Has Travelled (Relative to Sun)
Earth has travelled almost half a million light-years relative to the Sun since its formation. (That's 4.5 billion years/orbits.) Earth is 10,000 times slower than light.
Tadpole Galaxy
The tadpole galaxy has a trail of stars. They were probably formed when another galaxy collided into it. Just like tadpoles, the Tadpole Galaxy is expected to lose its tail as it gets older.
NGC 4889
This very large galaxy, which is also known as Caldwell 35, is the brightest galaxy in the Coma cluster. It is going away from us at 6,500 kilometers per second. At that speed, it could circumnavigate the Earth in less than seven seconds!
Larger By Category
Distance to the Andromeda Galaxy
At two million light-years away, the Andromeda Galaxy is the most distant object visible to the naked eye. However, without binoculars or a telescope, it will appear as a dim blur.
Abell 2029
Abell 2029 is a galaxy cluster one billion light-years away in the constellation Virgo. Its central galaxy, which is IC 1101, is almost as large as it is. It emits 1 trillion times as much light as the Sun does. (About 10^34 light bulbs)
Local Group
The Local Group is the cluster of galaxies that we live in. It contains about eighty galaxies and dwarf galaxies. The two largest galaxies are the Andromeda Galaxy and our own, the Milky Way.