Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 1003
NGC 1003 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Perseus, 29.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Perseus |
| Distance | 29.2 million light-years (8.94 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 38,200 light-years · 0.44 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −17.53 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.23 |
| Luminosity | 0.045 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 39m 16.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +40° 52′ 20″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.23. 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 October, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 29 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 517.3 billion years.