Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 1399
NGC 1399 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Fornax, 64.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Fornax |
| Distance | 64.5 million light-years (19.77 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 137,700 light-years · 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.98 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.50 |
| Luminosity | 2.7 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 3h 38m 29.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | −35° 27′ 03″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.50. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 55° N. South of latitude 55° 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 64 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 1,143.9 billion years.