Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 357
IC 357 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Taurus, 291.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Taurus |
| Distance | 291.7 million light-years (89.44 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 137,000 light-years · 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.37 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.39 |
| Luminosity | 3.9 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 4h 03m 44.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +22° 09′ 33″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.39. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 68° S. North of latitude 68° 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 292 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 5,174.8 billion years.