Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 1038
IC 1038 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Boötes, 403.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Boötes |
| Distance | 403.6 million light-years (123.74 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 90,900 light-years · 1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.34 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.12 |
| Luminosity | 1.5 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 14h 39m 27.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | +11° 55′ 43″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.12. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 78° S. North of latitude 78° N 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 404 million years ago. At that time complex animals were spreading through the seas and over the land; there were no dinosaurs yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 7,159.3 billion years.