Galaxy · Elliptical
And XVIII
And XVIII is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Andromeda, 4.44 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Andromeda |
| Distance | 4.44 million light-years (1.36 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 2,087 light-years · 0.024 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −9.70 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 15.97 |
| Luminosity | 3.3 × 10⁻⁵ × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 02m 14.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | +45° 05′ 20″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 15.97. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 45° S. North of latitude 45° 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 4.4 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 78.7 billion years.