Galaxy · Irregular
IC 1613
IC 1613 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 2.38 million light-years away.
| Type | Irregular |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 2.38 million light-years (730.0 kpc) |
| Diameter | 8,480 light-years · 0.097 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −14.50 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.82 |
| Luminosity | 0.0028 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 04m 47.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +2° 07′ 05″ |
| Source | Compiled catalogue (NED, approximate values) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.82. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 88° S. 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 2.4 million years ago. At that time our ancestors were using stone tools; Homo sapiens did not exist yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 42.2 billion years.