NGC 1072 is an early spiral galaxy in Cetus, 287 million light-years away
NGC 1072 is an early spiral galaxy in the constellation Cetus , 287 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 14.0 and spans 1.2′ × 29″ of sky, about 101,100 light-years across. It is faint: a 10-inch or larger telescope, or a camera, and it is highest in the evening sky in December.
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 1072 from Kaffaljidhma
Kaffaljidhma
NGC 1072
CETUS
NGC 1072 lies 2.9° south of Kaffaljidhma , the magnitude 3.5 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 1072 is highest in the evening in December
JAN
FEB
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APR
MAY
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JUL
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SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: 26° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 15° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 2° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -13° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -24° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -30° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -26° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -15° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -1° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 14° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 25° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 30° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 35° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 19° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 2° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -17° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -32° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -40° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -35° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -20° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -1° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 18° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 33° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 40° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 42° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 23° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -20° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -40° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -50° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -43° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -24° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -1° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 21° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 41° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 50° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 50° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -23° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -46° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -60° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -50° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -27° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -1° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 24° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 48° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 60° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 56° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 29° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -26° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -52° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -70° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -57° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -30° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -2° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 26° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 53° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 70° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 60° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 30° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -27° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -56° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -79° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -61° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -32° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -2° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 27° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 57° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 80° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 61° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 31° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -27° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -57° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -88° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -63° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -32° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -2° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 28° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 58° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 88° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 60° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 30° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -27° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -56° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -80° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -61° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -32° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -2° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 27° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 57° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 79° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 55° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 29° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -26° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -52° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -70° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -57° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -30° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 26° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 53° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 70° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 49° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 26° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -24° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -47° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -60° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -51° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -28° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -2° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 24° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 47° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 60° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 42° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 23° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 2° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -21° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -40° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -50° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -43° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -24° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -2° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 21° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 40° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 50° 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 90°S.
NGC 1072 is 287 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 1072 tonight left it about 287 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of NGC 1072
68 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
M77 Cetus A, spiral galaxy, 23′ NGC 1055, barred spiral galaxy, 28′ NGC 1090, spiral galaxy, 56′ NGC 1073, barred spiral galaxy, 1.1° NGC 1087, late spiral galaxy, 1.1° NGC 1032, lenticular galaxy, 1.3° NGC 1015, early spiral galaxy, 2.1° NGC 1016, elliptical galaxy, 2.2°
NGC 1072 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Cetus Designations NGC 1072, 2MASX J02433129+0018244, IRAS 02409+0005, MCG +00-07-088, PGC 010315, SDSS J024331.30+001824.4, SDSS J024331.30+001824.5, SDSS J024331.31+001824.5 Type early spiral galaxy (Sab) Right ascension (J2000) 02h 43.5m Declination (J2000) +00° 18′ Magnitude 14.0 Surface brightness 22.9 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 1.2′ × 29″ Position angle 13° True size 101,100 light-years Distance 287 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Radial velocity 7,889 km/s, redshift 0.02667 Best with Large telescope Best month December Catalog page NGC 1001 to 1500
