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Caldwell 51, also known as IC 1613, is an irregular dwarf galaxy located in the constellation Cetus.
Hubble · Caldwell 51 · NASA, ESA, and J. Holtzman (New Mexico State University); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)

Caldwell 51

Galaxy in Cetus · 2.4 million light-years

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TypeGalaxy
ConstellationCetus
Right ascension1h 04m 48s
Declination+2° 07′
Object distance2.4 million light-years
Apparent magnitude9.5
Apparent size18.3′ (arc-minutes)
Approx. true diameter12,776 light-years across
Also known asC51 · IC 1613
Caldwell 51 is a galaxy (IC 1613) in the constellation Cetus — a distant island of stars far beyond the Milky Way. It appears as number 51 in the Caldwell catalogue, Sir Patrick Moore's 1995 list of 109 bright deep-sky objects for amateur astronomers. It spans roughly 18.3 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 9.5, it shows up in a small backyard telescope.

Although it appears about 18.3′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 12,776 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.

Observing Caldwell 51

Caldwell 51 lies in the constellation Cetus and is best placed in the evening sky around October. Its maximum altitude above the horizon depends on your latitude. Lying near the celestial equator, it can be seen from both hemispheres. A small backyard telescope will show it; binoculars may hint at it under dark skies. Note that the listed magnitude is spread across the whole object — diffuse galaxies and nebulae are often harder to see than the number alone suggests, so dark, moonless skies help a great deal.

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