Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 302
IC 302 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 275.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 275.1 million light-years (84.34 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 247,200 light-years · 2.8 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.15 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.48 |
| Luminosity | 3.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 3h 12m 51.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +4° 42′ 25″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.48. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 85° 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 275 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 4,879.7 billion years.