IC 1218 is a spiral galaxy in Draco
IC 1218 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Draco . It shines at magnitude 15.3 and spans 55″. It is faint: a 10-inch or larger telescope, or a camera, and it is highest in the evening sky in July.
Galaxy: a system of billions of stars, gas and dust held together by gravity, far outside the Milky Way. Spiral galaxies have a disk with arms; elliptical galaxies are smooth, round or oval swarms of older stars.
Finding IC 1218 from Pherkad
Pherkad
IC 1218
DRACO
IC 1218 lies 6.0° southeast of Pherkad , the magnitude 3.0 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
IC 1218 is highest in the evening in July
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: 38° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 41° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 46° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 55° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 65° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 76° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 82° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 73° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 62° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 52° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 44° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 40° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 28° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 31° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 37° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 47° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 58° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 68° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 72° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 65° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 54° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 44° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 35° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 30° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 18° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 22° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 28° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 38° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 49° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 59° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 62° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 56° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 46° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 35° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 26° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 20° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 8° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 12° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 19° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 29° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 40° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 49° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 52° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 47° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 37° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 16° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 10° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -2° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 2° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 9° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 20° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 31° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 39° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 42° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 37° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 28° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 17° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 7° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 0° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -12° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -8° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -0° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 11° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 21° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 29° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 32° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 28° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 18° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 8° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -3° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -10° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -22° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -17° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -10° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 2° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 12° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 20° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 22° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 18° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 9° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -2° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -12° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -20° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -32° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -27° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -19° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -8° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 2° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 10° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 12° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 8° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -0° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -11° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -22° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -29° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -42° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -37° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -28° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -17° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -7° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -0° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 2° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -10° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -20° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -31° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -39° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -52° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -46° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -37° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -26° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -17° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -10° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -8° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -11° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -19° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -29° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -40° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -49° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -62° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -56° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -46° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -35° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -26° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -20° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -18° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -21° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -28° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -38° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -49° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -59° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole northern hemisphere and south to about 22°S, and never sets north of 22°N.
The distance to IC 1218 is not well measured
No reliable distance has been measured for it yet.
Objects within 6° of IC 1218
40 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
IC 1218 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Draco Designations IC 1218, 2MASX J16163709+6812093, IRAS 16165+6819, MCG +11-20-011, PGC 057699 Type spiral galaxy (Sb) Right ascension (J2000) 16h 16.6m Declination (J2000) +68° 12′ Magnitude 15.3 (B 14.0) Surface brightness 23.0 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 55″ Position angle 60° Radial velocity 1,136 km/s, redshift 0.00379 Best with Large telescope Best month July Catalog page IC 1001 to 1500
