Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 5202
IC 5202 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Tucana, 502.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Tucana |
| Distance | 502.3 million light-years (153.99 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 232,000 light-years · 2.7 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.94 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.00 |
| Luminosity | 2.6 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 22h 22m 55.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | −65° 48′ 10″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.00. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 24° N. South of latitude 24° 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 502 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 8,909.5 billion years.