Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 508
NGC 508 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pisces, 257.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Distance | 257.5 million light-years (78.94 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 104,300 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.58 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.91 |
| Luminosity | 1.9 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 23m 40.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +33° 16′ 51″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.91. 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 257 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 4,567.3 billion years.