Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 1331
IC 1331 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Aquarius, 266.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Aquarius |
| Distance | 266.8 million light-years (81.79 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 138,900 light-years · 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.76 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.80 |
| Luminosity | 2.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 20h 47m 48.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | −9° 59′ 45″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.80. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 80° N. 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 267 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 4,732.2 billion years.