Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 1407
NGC 1407 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Eridanus, 82.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Eridanus |
| Distance | 82.9 million light-years (25.41 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 143,600 light-years · 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.15 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.88 |
| Luminosity | 3.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 3h 40m 11.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | −18° 34′ 49″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.88. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 71° N. South of latitude 71° 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 83 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 1,470.2 billion years.