Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 683
NGC 683 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Aries, 243.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Aries |
| Distance | 243.8 million light-years (74.74 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 68,800 light-years · 0.79 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.82 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.55 |
| Luminosity | 0.37 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 49m 46.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | +11° 42′ 05″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.55. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 78° S. North of latitude 78° 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 244 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 4,324.3 billion years.