Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 646 NED01
NGC 646 NED01 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Hydrus, 383.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Hydrus |
| Distance | 383.5 million light-years (117.57 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 129,800 light-years · 1.5 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.37 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.98 |
| Luminosity | 1.5 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 37m 21.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | −64° 53′ 42″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.98. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 25° N. South of latitude 25° 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 383 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 6,802.4 billion years.