Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 1556
NGC 1556 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Dorado, 46.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Dorado |
| Distance | 46.1 million light-years (14.13 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 19,600 light-years · 0.22 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −17.09 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.66 |
| Luminosity | 0.03 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 4h 17m 44.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | −50° 09′ 52″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.66. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 40° N. South of latitude 40° 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 46 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 817.5 billion years.