Galaxy · Elliptical
And XXIII
And XXIII 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 | 5,414 light-years · 0.062 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −10.10 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.22 |
| Luminosity | 4.8 × 10⁻⁵ × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 29m 21.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +38° 43′ 08″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.22. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 51° S. North of latitude 51° 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 2.4 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.