Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 57
NGC 57 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pisces, 253.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Distance | 253.5 million light-years (77.71 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 163,100 light-years · 1.9 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.60 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.85 |
| Luminosity | 4.8 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 15m 30.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +17° 19′ 42″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.85. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 73° S. North of latitude 73° N it never sets. 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 253 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 4,496.1 billion years.