Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 7124
NGC 7124 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Indus, 241.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Indus |
| Distance | 241.0 million light-years (73.89 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 193,000 light-years · 2.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.96 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.38 |
| Luminosity | 2.7 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 21h 48m 05.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | −50° 33′ 55″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.38. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 39° N. South of latitude 39° S 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 241 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 4,275.1 billion years.