NGC 1277
NGC 1277 is a galaxy in the constellation Perseus, about 220.87 million light-years from Earth.
Small galaxy in Perseus with an outsized black hole at its centre
Facts
| Type | Galaxy (shape S0a) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Perseus |
| Position (J2000) | 3h 19m 51s, +41° 34′ |
| Distance | 220.87 million light-years (its light set off about 220.87 million years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 13.51 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 0.7′ × 0.4′ (the full Moon is about 31′) |
| Filter | No filter (It shines in starlight of every colour, so a nebula filter would only dim it; a dark sky helps more.) |
| Redshift | z = 0.01681 |
| Studied in | 240 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
NGC 1277 is highest in the sky at midnight in November. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 68° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 82°. To see it you need a large telescope or long-exposure photos.
Heights are worked out for India and for 50° N. Set your location in Settings to see them for where you are.
For tonight's best time from your own town, the darkness and the Moon, open it on the map and see its "Tonight from your location" card.
More in Perseus
- Alpha Persei Cluster
- California Nebula
- Double Cluster
- Little Dumbbell Nebula (M76)
- M34 (NGC 1039)
- Mirfak
- Perseus A (NGC 1275)
- Perseus Cluster
Everything in Perseus · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits