Galaxy · Irregular
IC 4362
IC 4362 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Centaurus, 83.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Irregular |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Distance | 83.5 million light-years (25.61 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 69,300 light-years · 0.79 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.50 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.54 |
| Luminosity | 0.28 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 14h 05m 22.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | −41° 49′ 06″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.54. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 48° N. South of latitude 48° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in April, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 84 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 1,481.7 billion years.