Galaxy · Spiral
IC 141
IC 141 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 530.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 530.6 million light-years (162.67 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 186,400 light-years · 2.1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.17 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.89 |
| Luminosity | 3.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 32m 51.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | −14° 48′ 53″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.89. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 75° N. South of latitude 75° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in October, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 531 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 9,411.8 billion years.