Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 36
NGC 36 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pisces, 281.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Distance | 281.0 million light-years (86.14 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 173,900 light-years · 2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.20 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.48 |
| Luminosity | 3.3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 11m 22.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +6° 23′ 21″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.48. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 84° S. 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 281 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 4,983.9 billion years.