Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 1012
NGC 1012 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Aries, 46.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Aries |
| Distance | 46.0 million light-years (14.10 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 34,300 light-years · 0.39 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −18.56 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.19 |
| Luminosity | 0.12 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 39m 15.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +30° 09′ 06″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.19. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 60° S. North of latitude 60° 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 46 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 815.8 billion years.