Galaxy · Spiral
IC 1263
IC 1263 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Hercules, 404.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Hercules |
| Distance | 404.2 million light-years (123.94 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 193,300 light-years · 2.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.82 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.65 |
| Luminosity | 2.3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 17h 33m 07.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +43° 49′ 20″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.65. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 46° S. North of latitude 46° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in June, 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 7,170.9 billion years.