Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 63
NGC 63 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pisces, 54.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Distance | 54.0 million light-years (16.57 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 32,200 light-years · 0.37 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −18.68 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.42 |
| Luminosity | 0.13 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 17m 45.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | +11° 27′ 01″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.42. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 79° S. North of latitude 79° 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 54 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 958.7 billion years.