Galaxy · Elliptical
And III
And III is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Andromeda, 2.45 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Andromeda |
| Distance | 2.45 million light-years (750.0 kpc) |
| Diameter | 2,609 light-years · 0.03 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −9.90 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.48 |
| Luminosity | 4.0 × 10⁻⁵ × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 35m 33.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +36° 29′ 52″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.48. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 54° S. North of latitude 54° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in September, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 2.4 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 43.4 billion years.