Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 2427
NGC 2427 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Puppis, 45.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Puppis |
| Distance | 45.3 million light-years (13.89 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 68,200 light-years · 0.78 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.60 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.11 |
| Luminosity | 0.3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 7h 36m 28.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | −47° 38′ 08″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.11. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 42° N. South of latitude 42° S 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 803.6 billion years.