Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 72
NGC 72 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Andromeda, 338.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Andromeda |
| Distance | 338.2 million light-years (103.70 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 190,000 light-years · 2.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.85 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.23 |
| Luminosity | 2.4 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 18m 28.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | +30° 02′ 27″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.23. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 60° S. North of latitude 60° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in September, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 338 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 5,999.9 billion years.