Galaxy · Elliptical
IC 1212
IC 1212 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Draco, 452.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Draco |
| Distance | 452.6 million light-years (138.76 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 163,400 light-years · 1.9 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.91 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.80 |
| Luminosity | 2.5 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 16h 15m 30.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +64° 13′ 30″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.80. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 26° S. North of latitude 26° 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 453 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 8,028.4 billion years.