IC 1401 is a mixed spiral galaxy in Aquarius, 239 million light-years away
IC 1401 is a mixed spiral galaxy in the constellation Aquarius , 239 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 13.7 and spans 1.7′ × 30″ of sky, about 116,700 light-years across. It is faint: a 10-inch or larger telescope, or a camera, and it is highest in the evening sky in October.
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 1401 from Sadalmelik
Sadalmelik
IC 1401
AQUARIUS
IC 1401 lies 5.1° northwest of Sadalmelik , the magnitude 3.0 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
IC 1401 is highest in the evening in October
JAN
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APR
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OCT
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DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: -5° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -19° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -27° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -28° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -21° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -8° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 7° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 21° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 30° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 31° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 23° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 10° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -7° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -25° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -36° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -37° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -27° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -10° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 9° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 27° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 39° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 41° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 30° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 13° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -9° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -30° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -45° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -47° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -34° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -13° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 10° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 32° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 48° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 50° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 36° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 15° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -10° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -35° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -53° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -56° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -40° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -15° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 11° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 36° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 57° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 60° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 41° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 16° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -11° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -39° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -61° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -66° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -44° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -17° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 11° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 39° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 65° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 68° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 45° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 17° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -12° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -42° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -68° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -74° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -47° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -18° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 11° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 41° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 71° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 76° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 47° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 18° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -13° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -43° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -71° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -78° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -49° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -18° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 11° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 42° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 72° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 78° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 48° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 18° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -13° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -43° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -69° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -76° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -48° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -18° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 11° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 41° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 69° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 73° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 46° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 17° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -13° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -41° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -64° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -69° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -46° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -18° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 10° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 38° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 62° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 65° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 43° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 16° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -12° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -38° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -56° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -60° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -42° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -17° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 9° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 34° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 54° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 56° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 39° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 15° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -11° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -33° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -48° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -50° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -37° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -15° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 7° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 29° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 45° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 47° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 33° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 13° 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 88°S.
IC 1401 is 239 million light-years away
The light seen from IC 1401 tonight left it about 239 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of IC 1401
51 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
IC 1401 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Aquarius Designations IC 1401, 2MASX J21465950+0142457, IRAS 21444+0128, MCG +00-55-015, PGC 067339, UGC 11810 Type mixed spiral galaxy (SABb) Right ascension (J2000) 21h 47.0m Declination (J2000) +01° 43′ Magnitude 13.7 (B 14.0) Surface brightness 23.4 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 1.7′ × 30″ Position angle 180° True size 116,700 light-years Distance 239 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Radial velocity 4,684 km/s, redshift 0.01574 Best with Large telescope Best month October Catalog page IC 1001 to 1500
