NGC 147 is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy in Cassiopeia, 2.4 million light-years away
NGC 147 (Caldwell 17, PGC 2004, UGC 326) is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy in the constellation Cassiopeia , 2.4 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 9.7 and spans 9.4′ × 5.4′ of sky, about 6,560 light-years across. It is best in a small telescope, 4 to 6 inches, and it is highest in the evening sky in November.
Galaxy: a system of billions of stars, gas and dust held together by gravity, far outside the Milky Way. Spiral galaxies have a disk with arms; elliptical galaxies are smooth, round or oval swarms of older stars.
Finding NGC 147 from Schedar
Schedar
NGC 147
CASSIOPEIA
NGC 147 lies 8.1° south of Schedar , the magnitude 2.2 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
NGC 147 is highest in the evening in November
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 54° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 40° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 29° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 21° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 19° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 21° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 29° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 41° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 55° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 69° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 78° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 69° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 51° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 34° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 21° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 12° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 9° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 12° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 21° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 35° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 52° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 71° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 88° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 70° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 47° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 28° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 13° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 2° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -1° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 2° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 13° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 29° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 48° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 67° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 81° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 67° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 41° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 21° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 5° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -7° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -11° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 5° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 22° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 42° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 61° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 71° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 60° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 34° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 14° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -3° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -16° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -21° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -16° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -3° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 15° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 35° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 53° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 61° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 52° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 26° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 6° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -11° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -26° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -31° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -26° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -11° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 8° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 28° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 44° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 51° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 44° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 19° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -1° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -19° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -35° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -41° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -35° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -20° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 0° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 20° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 35° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 41° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 35° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 11° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -9° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -27° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -44° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -51° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -44° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -27° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -7° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 12° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 26° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 31° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 26° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 2° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -16° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -34° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -53° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -61° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -53° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -35° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -15° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 4° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 17° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 21° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 16° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -6° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -23° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -41° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -61° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -71° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -61° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -42° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -22° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -5° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 7° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 11° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 7° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -14° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -30° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -47° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -67° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -81° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -67° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -48° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -29° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -13° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -2° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 1° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -3° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole northern hemisphere and south to about 41°S, and never sets north of 41°N.
NGC 147 is 2.4 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 147 tonight left it about 2.4 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. It ranks 78 of 109 by distance among the 109 Caldwell objects. Distance source: HST RR Lyrae, Savino et al. 2022 (via LVDB).
Objects within 6° of NGC 147
NGC 147 catalog data
Field Value
Designations Caldwell 17, NGC 147, PGC 2004, UGC 326 Type dwarf spheroidal galaxy Constellation Cassiopeia Right ascension (J2000) 00h 33.2m Declination (J2000) +48° 31′ Magnitude 9.7 Surface brightness 24.3 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 9.4′ × 5.4′ True size 6,560 light-years Distance 2.4 million light-years (HST RR Lyrae, Savino et al. 2022 (via LVDB)) Best month November Best with Small telescope
