Galaxy · Elliptical
IC 5317
IC 5317 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pegasus, 539.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pegasus |
| Distance | 539.1 million light-years (165.30 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 274,400 light-years · 3.1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.65 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.44 |
| Luminosity | 5 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 23h 23m 28.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | +21° 09′ 49″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.44. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 69° S. North of latitude 69° 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 539 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 9,563.9 billion years.