Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 1688
NGC 1688 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Dorado, 57.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Dorado |
| Distance | 57.2 million light-years (17.54 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 50,800 light-years · 0.58 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −18.65 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.57 |
| Luminosity | 0.13 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 4h 48m 23.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | −59° 48′ 01″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.57. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 30° N. South of latitude 30° 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 57 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 1,014.8 billion years.