Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 1956
IC 1956 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Taurus, 298.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Taurus |
| Distance | 298.2 million light-years (91.44 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 118,100 light-years · 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.37 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.44 |
| Luminosity | 1.5 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 3h 35m 33.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +5° 04′ 01″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.44. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 85° S. 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 298 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 5,290.5 billion years.