Galaxy · Spiral
IC 1989
IC 1989 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Horologium, 519.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Horologium |
| Distance | 519.1 million light-years (159.17 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 215,200 light-years · 2.5 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.69 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.32 |
| Luminosity | 5.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 3h 41m 54.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | −50° 57′ 28″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.32. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 39° N. South of latitude 39° S 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 519 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 9,209.2 billion years.