Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 1085
NGC 1085 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 316.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 316.3 million light-years (96.99 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 156,200 light-years · 1.8 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.25 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.68 |
| Luminosity | 3.5 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 46m 25.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +3° 36′ 26″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.68. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 86° 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 316 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 5,611.6 billion years.