Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 993
NGC 993 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 322.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 322.1 million light-years (98.74 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 139,100 light-years · 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.65 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.32 |
| Luminosity | 2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 2h 36m 46.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +2° 03′ 01″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.32. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 88° 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 322 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 5,712.9 billion years.