Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 1255
NGC 1255 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Fornax, 78.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Fornax |
| Distance | 78.6 million light-years (24.09 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 117,700 light-years · 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.64 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.27 |
| Luminosity | 0.79 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 3h 13m 32.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | −25° 43′ 31″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.27. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 64° N. South of latitude 64° S 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 79 million years ago. At that time dinosaurs ruled the Earth. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 1,393.8 billion years.