Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 1617
NGC 1617 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Dorado, 49.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Dorado |
| Distance | 49.5 million light-years (15.19 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 81,000 light-years · 0.93 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.93 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.98 |
| Luminosity | 1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 4h 31m 39.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | −54° 36′ 08″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.98. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 35° N. South of latitude 35° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in November, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 50 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 878.9 billion years.