Galaxy · Elliptical
IC 378
IC 378 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Eridanus, 413.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Eridanus |
| Distance | 413.3 million light-years (126.71 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 136,700 light-years · 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.39 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.12 |
| Luminosity | 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 4h 31m 27.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | −12° 17′ 59″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.12. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 78° N. South of latitude 78° 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 413 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 7,331.2 billion years.