Galaxy · Spiral
IC 5052
IC 5052 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pavo, 19.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pavo |
| Distance | 19.7 million light-years (6.03 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 45,100 light-years · 0.52 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −18.70 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 10.20 |
| Luminosity | 0.13 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 20h 52m 06.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | −69° 12′ 14″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 10.20. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 21° N. South of latitude 21° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in August, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 20 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 348.9 billion years.