Galaxy · Irregular
HIPASS J0801-21
HIPASS J0801-21 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Puppis, 20.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Irregular |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Puppis |
| Distance | 20.7 million light-years (6.34 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 3,457 light-years · 0.04 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −13.40 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 15.61 |
| Luminosity | 0.001 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 8h 01m 25.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | −21° 59′ 51″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 15.61. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 68° N. South of latitude 68° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in January, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 21 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 366.8 billion years.