Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 1236
NGC 1236 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Aries, 354.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Aries |
| Distance | 354.2 million light-years (108.61 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 128,500 light-years · 1.5 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.89 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.29 |
| Luminosity | 2.5 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 3h 11m 28.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +10° 48′ 30″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.29. 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 November, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 354 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 6,284.0 billion years.