Galaxy · Elliptical
IC 1347
IC 1347 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Aquarius, 411.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Aquarius |
| Distance | 411.1 million light-years (126.03 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 188,600 light-years · 2.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.98 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.52 |
| Luminosity | 2.7 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 21h 01m 44.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | −13° 18′ 48″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.52. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 77° N. South of latitude 77° 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 411 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 7,291.8 billion years.