Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 1168
NGC 1168 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Aries, 355.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Aries |
| Distance | 355.4 million light-years (108.96 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 103,600 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.18 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.01 |
| Luminosity | 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 3h 00m 47.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +11° 46′ 20″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.01. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 78° S. North of latitude 78° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in November, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 355 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 6,304.2 billion years.