Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 7656
NGC 7656 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Aquarius, 353.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Aquarius |
| Distance | 353.2 million light-years (108.30 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 99,200 light-years · 1.1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.62 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.55 |
| Luminosity | 1.9 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 23h 24m 31.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | −19° 03′ 33″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.55. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 71° N. South of latitude 71° S 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 353 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 6,266.0 billion years.