Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 7231
NGC 7231 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Lacerta, 50.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Lacerta |
| Distance | 50.2 million light-years (15.40 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 34,300 light-years · 0.39 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −18.16 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.78 |
| Luminosity | 0.08 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 22h 12m 30.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +45° 19′ 43″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.78. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 45° S. North of latitude 45° 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 50 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 891.0 billion years.