Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 1796
NGC 1796 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Dorado, 47.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Dorado |
| Distance | 47.3 million light-years (14.49 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 33,700 light-years · 0.39 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −18.21 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.60 |
| Luminosity | 0.084 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 5h 02m 42.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | −61° 08′ 24″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.60. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 29° N. South of latitude 29° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in December, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 47 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 838.4 billion years.