Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 2344
NGC 2344 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Lynx, 45.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Lynx |
| Distance | 45.4 million light-years (13.91 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 27,500 light-years · 0.31 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −18.59 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.13 |
| Luminosity | 0.12 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 7h 12m 28.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | +47° 10′ 00″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.13. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 43° S. North of latitude 43° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in January, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 45 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 804.8 billion years.