Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 1551
IC 1551 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pisces, 607.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Distance | 607.6 million light-years (186.29 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 157,900 light-years · 1.8 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.42 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.93 |
| Luminosity | 4.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 27m 35.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | +8° 52′ 39″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.93. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 81° S. 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 608 million years ago. At that time the Earth held only single-celled organisms and the first multicellular life. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 10,778.4 billion years.