Galaxy · Spiral
IC 31
IC 31 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pisces, 443.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Distance | 443.7 million light-years (136.03 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 217,600 light-years · 2.5 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.56 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.11 |
| Luminosity | 4.6 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 34m 24.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +12° 16′ 07″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.11. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 78° S. North of latitude 78° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in September, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 444 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 7,870.4 billion years.