Galaxy · Elliptical
And XII
And XII is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Andromeda, 2.71 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Andromeda |
| Distance | 2.71 million light-years (830.0 kpc) |
| Diameter | 1,761 light-years · 0.02 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −7.00 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 17.60 |
| Luminosity | 2.8 × 10⁻⁶ × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 47m 27.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +34° 22′ 29″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 17.60. 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 2.7 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 48.0 billion years.