Galaxy · Spiral
IC 1342
IC 1342 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Aquarius, 376.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Aquarius |
| Distance | 376.8 million light-years (115.53 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 123,000 light-years · 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.83 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.48 |
| Luminosity | 2.4 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 21h 00m 25.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | −14° 29′ 44″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.48. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 76° N. South of latitude 76° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in August, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 377 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 6,684.3 billion years.