Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 1097
NGC 1097 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Fornax, 59.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Fornax |
| Distance | 59.2 million light-years (18.16 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 187,100 light-years · 2.1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.15 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.15 |
| Luminosity | 3.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 46m 19.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | −30° 16′ 30″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.15. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 60° N. South of latitude 60° S 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 59 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 1,050.7 billion years.