Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 320
IC 320 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Perseus, 325.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Perseus |
| Distance | 325.7 million light-years (99.86 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 180,500 light-years · 2.1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.24 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.76 |
| Luminosity | 3.4 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 3h 25m 59.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +40° 47′ 20″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.76. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 49° S. North of latitude 49° 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 326 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 5,777.7 billion years.