Galaxy · Spiral
IC 279
IC 279 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Aries, 440.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Aries |
| Distance | 440.0 million light-years (134.91 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 115,100 light-years · 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.61 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.04 |
| Luminosity | 1.9 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 3h 01m 12.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +16° 12′ 33″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.04. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 74° S. North of latitude 74° N 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 440 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 7,805.6 billion years.