Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 1977
IC 1977 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Taurus, 463.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Taurus |
| Distance | 463.0 million light-years (141.94 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 174,600 light-years · 2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.79 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.97 |
| Luminosity | 5.7 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 3h 40m 45.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +17° 44′ 28″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.97. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 72° S. North of latitude 72° 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 463 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 8,212.4 billion years.