IC 1242 is a spiral galaxy in Ophiuchus, 242 million light-years away
IC 1242 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Ophiuchus , 242 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 14.0 and spans 50″ × 30″ of sky, about 59,200 light-years across. 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 1242 from κ Oph
κ Oph
IC 1242
OPHIUCHUS
IC 1242 lies 6.0° southeast of κ Oph , the magnitude 3.2 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
IC 1242 is highest in the evening in July
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -26° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -23° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -15° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -1° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 14° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 27° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 34° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 32° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 22° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 8° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -7° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -19° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -36° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -32° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -21° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -3° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 16° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 34° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 43° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 41° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 27° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 9° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -11° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -27° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -45° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -41° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -26° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -4° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 18° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 40° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 53° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 49° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 31° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 9° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -14° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -34° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -55° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -49° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -31° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -6° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 20° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 45° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 63° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 57° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 35° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 9° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -17° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -40° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -65° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -57° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -35° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -7° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 21° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 49° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 72° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 64° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 37° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 9° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -19° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -45° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -74° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -63° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -38° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -8° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 21° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 51° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 79° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 68° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 38° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 9° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -21° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -49° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -81° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -67° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -39° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -9° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 21° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 51° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 80° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 68° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 38° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 9° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -22° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -51° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -80° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -66° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -40° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -9° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 20° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 49° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 73° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 65° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 36° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 8° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -22° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -51° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -72° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -63° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -38° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -10° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 18° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 45° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 64° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 58° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 34° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 7° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -22° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -49° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -63° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -56° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -36° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -10° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 16° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 40° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 55° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 50° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 30° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 5° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -21° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -45° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -53° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -49° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -32° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -9° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 13° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 33° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 45° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 42° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 25° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 4° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -19° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -40° 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 86°S.
IC 1242 is 242 million light-years away
The light seen from IC 1242 tonight left it about 242 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of IC 1242
11 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
IC 1242 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Ophiuchus Designations IC 1242, 2MASX J17084287+0402596, IRAS 17062+0406, MCG +01-44-001, PGC 059688, UGC 10718 Type spiral galaxy (Sb) Right ascension (J2000) 17h 08.7m Declination (J2000) +04° 03′ Magnitude 14.0 Surface brightness 22.8 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 50″ × 30″ Position angle 120° True size 59,200 light-years Distance 242 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Radial velocity 6,748 km/s, redshift 0.02276 Best with Large telescope Best month July Catalog page IC 1001 to 1500
