Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 7409
NGC 7409 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pegasus, 311.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pegasus |
| Distance | 311.8 million light-years (95.61 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 78,500 light-years · 0.9 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.71 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.19 |
| Luminosity | 0.84 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 22h 53m 48.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +20° 12′ 37″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.19. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 70° S. North of latitude 70° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in September, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 312 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 5,531.8 billion years.