Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 7217
NGC 7217 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pegasus, 44.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pegasus |
| Distance | 44.4 million light-years (13.60 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 64,500 light-years · 0.74 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.95 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.72 |
| Luminosity | 1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 22h 07m 52.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | +31° 21′ 33″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.72. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 59° S. North of latitude 59° 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 44 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 786.9 billion years.