Galaxy · Elliptical
M32
M32 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Andromeda, 2.48 million light-years away. Andromeda's compact elliptical satellite.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Andromeda |
| Distance | 2.48 million light-years (760.0 kpc) |
| Diameter | 8,154 light-years · 0.093 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −16.40 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 8.00 |
| Luminosity | 0.016 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 42m 41.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +40° 51′ 54″ |
| Source | Compiled catalogue (NED, approximate values) |
In the sky
Too faint for the naked eye (magnitude 8.00); binoculars will find it. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 49° S. North of latitude 49° 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 2.5 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 44.0 billion years.