Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 1168
IC 1168 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Serpens, 508.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Serpens |
| Distance | 508.8 million light-years (155.99 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 101,600 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.60 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.37 |
| Luminosity | 1.9 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 16h 03m 55.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | +14° 54′ 09″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.37. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 75° S. North of latitude 75° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in May, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 509 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 9,025.3 billion years.