Galaxy · Barred spiral
IC 742
IC 742 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 299.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 299.4 million light-years (91.79 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 122,400 light-years · 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.73 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.08 |
| Luminosity | 0.86 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 51m 02.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +20° 47′ 59″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.08. 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 March, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 299 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 5,310.8 billion years.