Galaxy · Spiral
IC 317
IC 317 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Eridanus, 467.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Eridanus |
| Distance | 467.9 million light-years (143.46 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 145,100 light-years · 1.7 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.14 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.64 |
| Luminosity | 3.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 3h 18m 55.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | −12° 44′ 25″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.64. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 77° N. South of latitude 77° S 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 468 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 8,300.3 billion years.