Galaxy · Spiral
IC 355
IC 355 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Taurus, 402.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Taurus |
| Distance | 402.9 million light-years (123.54 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 119,900 light-years · 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.83 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.63 |
| Luminosity | 2.4 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 3h 53m 46.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +19° 58′ 26″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.63. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 70° S. North of latitude 70° 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 403 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 7,147.8 billion years.