Galaxy · Elliptical
Cetus
Cetus is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 2.54 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 2.54 million light-years (780.0 kpc) |
| Diameter | 3,588 light-years · 0.041 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −10.80 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.66 |
| Luminosity | 9.1 × 10⁻⁵ × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 26m 11.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | −11° 02′ 40″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.66. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 79° N. South of latitude 79° S 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 2.5 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 45.1 billion years.