Galaxy · Spiral
IC 1309
IC 1309 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, 369.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Sagittarius |
| Distance | 369.5 million light-years (113.29 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 111,200 light-years · 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.61 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.66 |
| Luminosity | 1.9 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 20h 03m 01.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | −17° 13′ 56″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.66. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 73° N. South of latitude 73° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in July, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 370 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 6,554.7 billion years.