Galaxy · Elliptical
IC 433
IC 433 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Lepus, 335.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Lepus |
| Distance | 335.3 million light-years (102.79 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 139,600 light-years · 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.08 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.98 |
| Luminosity | 3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 5h 40m 31.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | −11° 39′ 56″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.98. 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 December, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 335 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 5,947.2 billion years.