Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 1377
IC 1377 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Equuleus, 423.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Equuleus |
| Distance | 423.0 million light-years (129.70 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 143,900 light-years · 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.10 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.46 |
| Luminosity | 3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 21h 25m 26.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +4° 18′ 51″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.46. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 86° S. 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 423 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 7,504.2 billion years.