Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 180
NGC 180 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pisces, 246.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Distance | 246.1 million light-years (75.44 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 204,000 light-years · 2.3 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.01 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.38 |
| Luminosity | 2.8 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 37m 57.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | +8° 38′ 07″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.38. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 81° S. 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 246 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 4,364.8 billion years.