Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 7781
NGC 7781 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pisces, 263.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Distance | 263.8 million light-years (80.87 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 100,700 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.95 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.59 |
| Luminosity | 1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 23h 53m 46.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +7° 51′ 38″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.59. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 82° S. 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 4,679.0 billion years.