Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 386
NGC 386 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pisces, 258.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Distance | 258.9 million light-years (79.37 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 65,100 light-years · 0.74 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.08 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.42 |
| Luminosity | 0.47 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 07m 31.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +32° 21′ 43″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.42. 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 259 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 4,592.2 billion years.