Galaxy · Elliptical
IC 331
IC 331 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Taurus, 323.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Taurus |
| Distance | 323.1 million light-years (99.07 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 121,900 light-years · 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.38 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.60 |
| Luminosity | 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 3h 32m 19.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +0° 16′ 57″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.60. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 90° N. 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 323 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 5,732.0 billion years.