Galaxy · Irregular
UGC 7242
UGC 7242 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Draco, 17.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Irregular |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Draco |
| Distance | 17.7 million light-years (5.42 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 6,262 light-years · 0.072 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −14.80 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.87 |
| Luminosity | 0.0036 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 14m 07.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | +66° 05′ 32″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.87. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 24° S. North of latitude 24° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in March, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 18 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 313.6 billion years.