Galaxy · Elliptical
IC 123
IC 123 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 427.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 427.7 million light-years (131.13 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 110,800 light-years · 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.26 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.33 |
| Luminosity | 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 28m 51.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | +2° 26′ 47″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.33. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 88° S. It stands highest at midnight in October, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 428 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 7,586.9 billion years.