Galaxy · Elliptical
And IX
And IX is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Andromeda, 2.58 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Andromeda |
| Distance | 2.58 million light-years (790.0 kpc) |
| Diameter | 3,262 light-years · 0.037 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −8.70 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 15.79 |
| Luminosity | 1.3 × 10⁻⁵ × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 52m 52.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +43° 12′ 00″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 15.79. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 47° S. North of latitude 47° 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 2.6 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 45.7 billion years.