Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 1540
IC 1540 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Andromeda, 271.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Andromeda |
| Distance | 271.8 million light-years (83.34 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 114,000 light-years · 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.01 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.59 |
| Luminosity | 1.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 19m 48.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | +23° 46′ 21″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.59. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 66° S. North of latitude 66° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in September, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 272 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 4,821.9 billion years.