Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 7331
NGC 7331 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pegasus, 39.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pegasus |
| Distance | 39.8 million light-years (12.20 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 120,700 light-years · 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.60 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 8.83 |
| Luminosity | 1.9 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 22h 37m 04.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +34° 24′ 58″ |
| Source | Compiled catalogue (NED, approximate values) |
In the sky
Too faint for the naked eye (magnitude 8.83); binoculars will find it. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 56° S. North of latitude 56° 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 40 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 705.9 billion years.