Galaxy · Elliptical
And II
And II is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pisces, 2.12 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Distance | 2.12 million light-years (650.0 kpc) |
| Diameter | 1,826 light-years · 0.021 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −9.80 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.26 |
| Luminosity | 3.6 × 10⁻⁵ × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 16m 29.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +33° 25′ 09″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.26. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 57° S. North of latitude 57° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in October, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 2.1 million years ago. At that time our ancestors were using stone tools; Homo sapiens did not exist yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 37.6 billion years.