Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 273
IC 273 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 148.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 148.5 million light-years (45.54 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 71,400 light-years · 0.82 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.23 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.06 |
| Luminosity | 0.54 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 57m 10.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +2° 46′ 30″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.06. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 87° S. 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 149 million years ago. At that time dinosaurs ruled the Earth. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 2,634.9 billion years.