Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 521
NGC 521 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 233.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 233.8 million light-years (71.69 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 282,100 light-years · 3.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.89 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.39 |
| Luminosity | 6.3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 24m 33.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +1° 43′ 52″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.39. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 88° S. 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 234 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 4,147.8 billion years.