Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 296
NGC 296 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pisces, 254.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Distance | 254.2 million light-years (77.94 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 218,700 light-years · 2.5 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.44 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.02 |
| Luminosity | 4.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 55m 07.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | +31° 32′ 32″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.02. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 58° S. North of latitude 58° N 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 254 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 4,509.4 billion years.