Galaxy · Spiral
IC 5356
IC 5356 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pisces, 279.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Distance | 279.7 million light-years (85.76 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 88,200 light-years · 1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.91 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.76 |
| Luminosity | 1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 23h 47m 23.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | −2° 21′ 05″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.76. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 88° N. 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 280 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 4,961.9 billion years.