Galaxy · Spiral
IC 5073
IC 5073 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pavo, 549.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pavo |
| Distance | 549.8 million light-years (168.57 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 239,200 light-years · 2.7 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.02 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.11 |
| Luminosity | 2.8 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 21h 03m 19.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | −72° 41′ 16″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.11. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 17° N. South of latitude 17° 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 550 million years ago. At that time the Earth held only single-celled organisms and the first multicellular life. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 9,753.1 billion years.