Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 831
NGC 831 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 335.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 335.3 million light-years (102.79 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 86,500 light-years · 0.99 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.63 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.43 |
| Luminosity | 0.78 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 09m 34.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +6° 05′ 47″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.43. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 84° 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 335 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 5,947.2 billion years.