Galaxy · Spiral
IC 239
IC 239 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Andromeda, 42.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Andromeda |
| Distance | 42.1 million light-years (12.90 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 59,200 light-years · 0.68 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −18.90 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.65 |
| Luminosity | 0.16 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 36m 27.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +38° 58′ 09″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.65. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 51° S. North of latitude 51° N it never sets. 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 42 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 746.4 billion years.