Galaxy · Elliptical
IC 305
IC 305 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Perseus, 241.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Perseus |
| Distance | 241.0 million light-years (73.89 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 94,800 light-years · 1.1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.26 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.08 |
| Luminosity | 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 3h 15m 03.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +37° 51′ 36″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.08. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 52° S. North of latitude 52° 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 241 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 4,275.1 billion years.