Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 205
IC 205 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 388.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 388.9 million light-years (119.24 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 129,300 light-years · 1.5 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.46 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.92 |
| Luminosity | 1.7 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 07m 27.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | −2° 05′ 29″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.92. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 88° N. 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 389 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 6,899.0 billion years.