IC 1255 is a spiral galaxy in Ophiuchus, 419 million light-years away
IC 1255 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Ophiuchus , 419 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 14.0 and spans 59″ × 24″ of sky, about 119,400 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 1255 from Rasalhague
Rasalhague
IC 1255
OPHIUCHUS
IC 1255 lies 2.9° west of Rasalhague , the magnitude 2.1 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
IC 1255 is highest in the evening in July
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -17° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -16° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -8° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 5° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 19° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 33° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 42° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 41° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 31° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 17° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 2° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -10° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -27° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -25° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -15° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 2° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 21° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 39° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 51° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 50° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 36° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 17° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -2° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -17° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -36° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -34° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -22° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -1° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 21° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 44° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 60° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 59° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 40° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 17° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -5° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -24° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -46° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -43° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -28° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -4° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 21° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 47° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 69° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 66° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 42° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 17° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -9° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -31° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -55° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -52° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -33° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -7° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 20° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 49° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 76° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 71° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 43° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 16° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -12° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -37° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -65° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -60° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -38° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -10° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 19° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 48° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 77° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 72° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 43° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 14° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -15° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -43° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -73° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -67° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -42° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -12° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 17° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 46° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 72° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 68° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 40° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 12° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -18° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -46° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -79° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -71° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -44° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -14° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 14° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 42° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 64° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 61° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 37° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 9° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -20° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -49° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -77° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -70° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -44° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -16° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 11° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 37° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 55° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 53° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 32° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 7° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -21° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -49° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -70° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -65° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -43° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -17° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 8° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 31° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 46° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 44° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 27° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 4° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -22° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -48° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -61° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -58° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -41° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -18° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 4° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 24° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 36° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 35° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 21° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 1° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -22° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -44° 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 77°S, and never sets north of 77°N.
IC 1255 is 419 million light-years away
The light seen from IC 1255 tonight left it about 419 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of IC 1255
8 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
IC 1255 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Ophiuchus Designations IC 1255, 2MASX J17230538+1241435, IRAS 17207+1244, MCG +02-44-003, PGC 060180, UGC 10826 Type spiral galaxy (Sb) Right ascension (J2000) 17h 23.1m Declination (J2000) +12° 42′ Magnitude 14.0 Surface brightness 22.3 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 59″ × 24″ Position angle 11° True size 119,400 light-years Distance 419 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Radial velocity 8,906 km/s, redshift 0.03016 Best with Large telescope Best month July Catalog page IC 1001 to 1500
