Galaxy · Elliptical
IC 1406
IC 1406 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Aquarius, 382.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Aquarius |
| Distance | 382.8 million light-years (117.37 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 143,400 light-years · 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.31 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.04 |
| Luminosity | 1.5 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 21h 51m 04.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +1° 59′ 14″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.04. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 88° 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 383 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 6,790.8 billion years.