NGC 1247 is a spiral galaxy in Eridanus, 205 million light-years away
NGC 1247 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Eridanus , 205 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 12.4 and spans 3.6′ × 31″ of sky, about 211,800 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 1247 from Rana
Rana
NGC 1247
ERIDANUS
NGC 1247 lies 7.7° west of Rana , the magnitude 3.5 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 1247 is highest in the evening in December
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: 17° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 8° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -4° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -19° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -32° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -40° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -38° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -28° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -14° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 1° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 13° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 19° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 27° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 14° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -1° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -21° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -38° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -50° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -47° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -33° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -14° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 5° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 21° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 29° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 36° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 20° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 1° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -22° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -44° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -59° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -56° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -37° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -14° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 9° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 28° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 39° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 45° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 4° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -23° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -48° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -69° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -63° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -39° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -13° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 12° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 35° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 49° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 53° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 30° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 6° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -22° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -50° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -77° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -69° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -41° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -12° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 15° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 41° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 58° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 60° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 34° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 8° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -21° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -50° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -80° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -70° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -40° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -11° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 18° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 46° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 68° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 66° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 37° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 10° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -20° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -49° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -76° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -68° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -39° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -9° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 20° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 50° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 76° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 69° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 39° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 12° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -18° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -45° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -67° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -62° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -36° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -7° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 22° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 52° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 81° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 67° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 39° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 13° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -15° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -40° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -58° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -54° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -32° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -5° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 23° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 51° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 77° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 62° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 38° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 14° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -12° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -34° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -48° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -45° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -27° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -2° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 23° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 49° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 69° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 55° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 35° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 15° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -8° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -27° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -39° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -36° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -21° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -0° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 22° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 45° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 59° 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 southern hemisphere and north to about 80°N, and never sets south of 80°S.
NGC 1247 is 205 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 1247 tonight left it about 205 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of NGC 1247
81 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 1234, late spiral galaxy, 2.7° NGC 1140, barred spiral galaxy, 4.4° NGC 1172, elliptical galaxy, 5.1° NGC 1209, elliptical galaxy, 5.3° NGC 1309, spiral galaxy, 5.5° NGC 1199, elliptical galaxy, 5.5°
NGC 1247 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Eridanus Designations NGC 1247, 2MASX J03121431-1028520, IRAS 03098-1040, MCG -02-09-014, PGC 011931, UGCA 058 Type spiral galaxy (Sbc) Right ascension (J2000) 03h 12.2m Declination (J2000) -10° 29′ Magnitude 12.4 (B 13.0) Surface brightness 23.5 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 3.6′ × 31″ Position angle 70° True size 211,800 light-years Distance 205 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Radial velocity 3,947 km/s, redshift 0.01325 Best with Large telescope Best month December Catalog page NGC 1001 to 1500
