Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 74
IC 74 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pisces, 233.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Distance | 233.7 million light-years (71.66 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 49,800 light-years · 0.57 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.88 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.40 |
| Luminosity | 0.39 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 05m 56.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +4° 05′ 25″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.40. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 86° S. It stands highest at midnight in October, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 234 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 4,146.1 billion years.