Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 7120
NGC 7120 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Aquarius, 316.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Aquarius |
| Distance | 316.1 million light-years (96.91 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 98,500 light-years · 1.1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.92 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.01 |
| Luminosity | 1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 21h 44m 33.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | −6° 31′ 24″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.01. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 83° N. 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 316 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 5,607.0 billion years.