Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 1874
IC 1874 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Perseus, 233.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Perseus |
| Distance | 233.5 million light-years (71.59 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 88,900 light-years · 1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.47 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.80 |
| Luminosity | 1.7 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 3h 06m 22.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +36° 00′ 53″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.80. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 54° S. North of latitude 54° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in November, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 233 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 4,142.1 billion years.