Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 7228
NGC 7228 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Lacerta, 305.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Lacerta |
| Distance | 305.3 million light-years (93.61 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 213,500 light-years · 2.4 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.22 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.64 |
| Luminosity | 3.4 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 22h 11m 48.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +38° 41′ 57″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.64. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 51° S. North of latitude 51° 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 305 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 5,416.1 billion years.