Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 661
NGC 661 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Triangulum, 177.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Triangulum |
| Distance | 177.9 million light-years (54.53 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 86,800 light-years · 0.99 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.25 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.43 |
| Luminosity | 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 44m 14.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +28° 42′ 21″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.43. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 61° S. North of latitude 61° N 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 178 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 3,155.0 billion years.