Galaxy · Spiral
IC 5285
IC 5285 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pegasus, 286.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pegasus |
| Distance | 286.7 million light-years (87.91 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 114,300 light-years · 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.09 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.63 |
| Luminosity | 3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 23h 06m 58.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +22° 56′ 11″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.63. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 67° S. North of latitude 67° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in September, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 287 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 5,086.3 billion years.