Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 47
NGC 47 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 265.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 265.6 million light-years (81.43 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 193,500 light-years · 2.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.97 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.58 |
| Luminosity | 2.7 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 14m 30.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | −7° 10′ 03″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.58. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 83° N. 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 266 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 4,711.4 billion years.