Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 1028
NGC 1028 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Aries, 399.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Aries |
| Distance | 399.7 million light-years (122.54 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 113,000 light-years · 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.84 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.60 |
| Luminosity | 0.95 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 39m 37.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +10° 50′ 37″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.60. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 79° S. North of latitude 79° 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 400 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 7,089.9 billion years.