Galaxy · Elliptical
And XXVII
And XXVII 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 | 2,414 light-years · 0.028 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −7.90 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 16.70 |
| Luminosity | 6.3 × 10⁻⁶ × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 37m 27.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +45° 23′ 13″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 16.70. 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 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.