Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 143
NGC 143 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 375.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 375.1 million light-years (114.99 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 135,400 light-years · 1.5 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.45 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.85 |
| Luminosity | 1.7 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 31m 15.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | −22° 33′ 36″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.85. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 67° N. South of latitude 67° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in September, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 375 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 6,653.1 billion years.