Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 1073
NGC 1073 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 56.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 56.3 million light-years (17.26 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 62,800 light-years · 0.72 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.32 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.87 |
| Luminosity | 0.23 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 43m 40.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +1° 22′ 33″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.87. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 89° 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 56 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 998.6 billion years.