Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 233
NGC 233 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Andromeda, 252.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Andromeda |
| Distance | 252.6 million light-years (77.46 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 114,000 light-years · 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.65 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.80 |
| Luminosity | 2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 43m 36.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +30° 35′ 13″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.80. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 59° S. North of latitude 59° 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 253 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 4,481.7 billion years.