Galaxy · Barred spiral
M77
M77 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 42.1 million light-years away. One of the nearest and brightest Seyfert galaxies.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 42.1 million light-years (12.90 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 88,100 light-years · 1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.50 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.05 |
| Luminosity | 1.7 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 42m 40.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | −0° 00′ 47″ |
| Source | Compiled catalogue (NED, approximate values) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.05. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 90° N. It stands highest at midnight in October, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 42 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 746.4 billion years.