Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 1302
NGC 1302 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Fornax, 79.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Fornax |
| Distance | 79.7 million light-years (24.43 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 85,100 light-years · 0.97 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.22 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 10.72 |
| Luminosity | 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 3h 19m 51.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | −26° 03′ 38″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 10.72. 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 80 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 1,413.5 billion years.