Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 501
NGC 501 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pisces, 233.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Distance | 233.4 million light-years (71.57 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 52,000 light-years · 0.59 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.98 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.29 |
| Luminosity | 0.43 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 23m 22.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | +33° 25′ 58″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.29. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 57° S. North of latitude 57° 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 233 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 4,140.9 billion years.