Galaxy · Spiral
IC 5171
IC 5171 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Grus, 132.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Grus |
| Distance | 132.6 million light-years (40.67 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 108,500 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.80 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.25 |
| Luminosity | 0.91 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 22h 10m 56.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | −46° 04′ 53″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.25. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 44° N. South of latitude 44° 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 133 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 2,353.1 billion years.