Galaxy · Irregular
NGC 1021
NGC 1021 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 269.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Irregular (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 269.0 million light-years (82.46 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 88,600 light-years · 1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.11 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.47 |
| Luminosity | 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 38m 48.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +2° 13′ 03″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.47. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 88° S. 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 269 million years ago. At that time complex animals were spreading through the seas and over the land; there were no dinosaurs yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 4,771.0 billion years.