Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 421
IC 421 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Orion, 165.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Orion |
| Distance | 165.3 million light-years (50.69 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 234,400 light-years · 2.7 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.55 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.97 |
| Luminosity | 1.8 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 5h 32m 08.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | −7° 55′ 05″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.97. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 82° N. It stands highest at midnight in December, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 165 million years ago. At that time dinosaurs ruled the Earth. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 2,932.8 billion years.