Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 791
NGC 791 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pisces, 374.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Distance | 374.4 million light-years (114.79 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 142,900 light-years · 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.21 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.09 |
| Luminosity | 3.3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 01m 44.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +8° 29′ 59″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.09. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 82° S. It stands highest at midnight in October, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 374 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 6,641.5 billion years.