Galaxy · Spiral
IC 2379
IC 2379 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Puppis, 281.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Puppis |
| Distance | 281.6 million light-years (86.34 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 88,800 light-years · 1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.10 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.58 |
| Luminosity | 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 8h 26m 27.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | −13° 17′ 34″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.58. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 77° N. South of latitude 77° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in January, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 282 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 4,995.5 billion years.