Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 972
NGC 972 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Aries, 71.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Aries |
| Distance | 71.9 million light-years (22.04 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 74,400 light-years · 0.85 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.99 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 10.73 |
| Luminosity | 1.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 34m 13.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | +29° 18′ 41″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 10.73. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 61° S. North of latitude 61° 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 72 million years ago. At that time dinosaurs ruled the Earth. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 1,275.2 billion years.