Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 7439
NGC 7439 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pegasus, 438.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pegasus |
| Distance | 438.8 million light-years (134.53 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 124,400 light-years · 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.78 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.86 |
| Luminosity | 2.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 22h 58m 09.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +29° 13′ 42″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.86. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 61° S. North of latitude 61° 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 439 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 7,783.6 billion years.