Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 2442
NGC 2442 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Volans, 68.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Volans |
| Distance | 68.3 million light-years (20.94 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 159,200 light-years · 1.8 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.91 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.69 |
| Luminosity | 2.5 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 7h 36m 23.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | −69° 31′ 51″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.69. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 20° N. South of latitude 20° 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 68 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 1,211.5 billion years.