Galaxy · Elliptical
And XI
And XI is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Andromeda, 2.38 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Andromeda |
| Distance | 2.38 million light-years (730.0 kpc) |
| Diameter | 848.0 light-years · 0.0097 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −6.80 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 17.52 |
| Luminosity | 2.3 × 10⁻⁶ × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 46m 20.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +33° 48′ 05″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 17.52. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 56° S. North of latitude 56° 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 42.2 billion years.