Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 1956
NGC 1956 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Mensa, 225.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Mensa |
| Distance | 225.7 million light-years (69.20 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 191,100 light-years · 2.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.69 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.51 |
| Luminosity | 5.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 5h 19m 35.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | −77° 43′ 43″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.51. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 12° N. South of latitude 12° S it never sets.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 226 million years ago. At that time dinosaurs ruled the Earth. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 4,003.8 billion years.