Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 901
NGC 901 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Aries, 455.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Aries |
| Distance | 455.4 million light-years (139.63 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 147,900 light-years · 1.7 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.65 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.07 |
| Luminosity | 2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 23m 34.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +26° 33′ 26″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.07. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 63° S. North of latitude 63° N 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 455 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 8,078.7 billion years.