Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 197
IC 197 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pisces, 295.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Distance | 295.0 million light-years (90.46 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 104,600 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.04 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.74 |
| Luminosity | 1.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 04m 04.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +2° 47′ 12″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.74. 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 295 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 5,233.8 billion years.