Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 349
NGC 349 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 278.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 278.9 million light-years (85.51 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 131,200 light-years · 1.5 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.21 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.45 |
| Luminosity | 3.3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 01m 50.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | −6° 47′ 59″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.45. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 83° N. 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 279 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 4,947.4 billion years.