Galaxy · Spiral
IC 5138
IC 5138 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Indus, 382.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Indus |
| Distance | 382.1 million light-years (117.14 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 150,600 light-years · 1.7 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.90 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.44 |
| Luminosity | 1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 21h 53m 21.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | −68° 57′ 13″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.44. 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 382 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 6,777.5 billion years.