Galaxy · Elliptical
IC 1844
IC 1844 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 317.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 317.4 million light-years (97.30 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 106,700 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.45 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.49 |
| Luminosity | 0.66 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 45m 49.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +3° 13′ 52″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.49. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 87° 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 317 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 5,629.6 billion years.