Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 247
NGC 247 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 11.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 11.9 million light-years (3.65 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 84,500 light-years · 0.97 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.10 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 8.71 |
| Luminosity | 0.19 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 47m 08.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | −20° 45′ 36″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
Too faint for the naked eye (magnitude 8.71); binoculars will find it. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 69° N. South of latitude 69° S 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 12 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 211.2 billion years.