Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 578
NGC 578 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 75.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 75.9 million light-years (23.26 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 138,600 light-years · 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.35 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.48 |
| Luminosity | 0.6 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 30m 28.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | −22° 40′ 02″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.48. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 67° N. South of latitude 67° S 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 76 million years ago. At that time dinosaurs ruled the Earth. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 1,345.8 billion years.