Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 7263
NGC 7263 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Lacerta, 289.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Lacerta |
| Distance | 289.1 million light-years (88.64 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 102,900 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.86 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.88 |
| Luminosity | 2.4 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 22h 21m 45.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +36° 21′ 00″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.88. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 54° S. North of latitude 54° 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 289 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 5,128.5 billion years.