Galaxy · Elliptical
KK 211
KK 211 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Centaurus, 11.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Distance | 11.7 million light-years (3.58 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 4,631 light-years · 0.053 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −12.50 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 15.27 |
| Luminosity | 4.4 × 10⁻⁴ × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 13h 42m 05.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | −45° 12′ 18″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 15.27. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 45° N. South of latitude 45° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in April, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 12 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 207.1 billion years.