Galaxy · Elliptical
And XVII
And XVII is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Andromeda, 2.41 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Andromeda |
| Distance | 2.41 million light-years (740.0 kpc) |
| Diameter | 1,435 light-years · 0.016 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −7.60 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 16.75 |
| Luminosity | 4.8 × 10⁻⁶ × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 37m 07.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +44° 19′ 20″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 16.75. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 46° S. North of latitude 46° 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 42.8 billion years.