Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 181
NGC 181 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Andromeda, 257.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Andromeda |
| Distance | 257.9 million light-years (79.07 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 98,400 light-years · 1.1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.60 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.89 |
| Luminosity | 0.76 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 38m 23.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +29° 28′ 21″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.89. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 61° S. North of latitude 61° N 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 258 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 4,574.8 billion years.