Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 852
NGC 852 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Eridanus, 299.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Eridanus |
| Distance | 299.1 million light-years (91.70 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 99,600 light-years · 1.1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.04 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.77 |
| Luminosity | 1.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 08m 55.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | −56° 44′ 13″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.77. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 33° N. South of latitude 33° S it never sets. 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 299 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 5,305.6 billion years.