Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 283
NGC 283 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 528.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 528.3 million light-years (161.99 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 153,600 light-years · 1.8 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.15 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.90 |
| Luminosity | 3.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 53m 13.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | −13° 09′ 50″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.90. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 77° N. South of latitude 77° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in October, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 528 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 9,372.4 billion years.