Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 7116
NGC 7116 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cygnus, 164.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cygnus |
| Distance | 164.6 million light-years (50.46 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 72,300 light-years · 0.83 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.96 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.55 |
| Luminosity | 0.42 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 21h 42m 40.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +28° 56′ 48″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.55. 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 August, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 165 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 2,919.5 billion years.