Galaxy
The Phantom Galaxy
Also M74 · NGC 628
A grand-design spiral galaxy seen face-on, its arms dotted with clusters of young stars.
Measured
- Distance
- about 31.6 million light-years (published estimates 23.8 million–33.3 million)
- Size
- about 86,000 light-years across (approximate)
- Constellation
- Pisces
- Position (J2000)
- RA 1h 36m 42s, Dec +15.78°
How far, from the Sun
About 31.6 million light-years. To cross it:
- Light31.6 million years
- Voyager 1's speed562 billion years
- Driving at 100 km/h341 trillion years
Voyager 1 at the speed it moved outward over the year to 2026-10-25 (JPL Horizons). Driving: nonstop, never refuelling.
Facts
- It is one of the hardest Messier objects to see, because of its low surface brightness.
- The James Webb Space Telescope imaged its filaments of gas and dust in 2022.
- It is moving away from us at about 660 km/s (NASA/IPAC NED).
Where this comes from
- 9.7 Mpc (Colbert et al. 2004, ApJ 602, 231); published estimates 7.3 (Lee et al. 2011, ApJS 192, 6) to 10.2 Mpc
- This research has made use of the SIMBAD database, CDS, Strasbourg, France (Wenger et al. 2000, A&AS 143, 9).
- This research has made use of the VizieR catalogue access tool, CDS, Strasbourg, France (DOI: 10.26093/cds/vizier).
Every catalogue Ouranos draws is credited on the credits page.