Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 7173
NGC 7173 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Piscis Austrinus, 116.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Piscis Austrinus |
| Distance | 116.3 million light-years (35.67 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 55,300 light-years · 0.63 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.61 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.15 |
| Luminosity | 0.77 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 22h 02m 03.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | −31° 58′ 25″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.15. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 58° N. South of latitude 58° 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 116 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 2,063.8 billion years.