Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 1809
IC 1809 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Aries, 259.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Aries |
| Distance | 259.9 million light-years (79.69 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 91,300 light-years · 1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.12 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.39 |
| Luminosity | 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 31m 40.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +22° 55′ 02″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.39. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 67° S. North of latitude 67° N 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 260 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 4,610.7 billion years.