Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 2920
NGC 2920 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Hydra, 154.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Hydra |
| Distance | 154.1 million light-years (47.24 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 44,300 light-years · 0.51 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.32 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.05 |
| Luminosity | 0.23 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 9h 34m 12.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | −20° 51′ 33″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.05. 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 February, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 154 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 2,733.2 billion years.