Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 677
NGC 677 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Aries, 237.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Aries |
| Distance | 237.6 million light-years (72.86 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 121,800 light-years · 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.85 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.46 |
| Luminosity | 2.4 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 49m 14.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +13° 03′ 19″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.46. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 77° S. North of latitude 77° 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 238 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 4,215.5 billion years.