Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 7440
NGC 7440 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Andromeda, 263.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Andromeda |
| Distance | 263.7 million light-years (80.84 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 137,000 light-years · 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.18 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.36 |
| Luminosity | 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 22h 58m 32.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | +35° 48′ 09″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.36. 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 September, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 264 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 4,677.2 billion years.