NGC 1253 is a mixed spiral galaxy in Eridanus, 67 million light-years away
NGC 1253 is a mixed spiral galaxy in the constellation Eridanus , 67 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 11.7 and spans 4.6′ × 1.9′ of sky, about 88,700 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, 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 1253 from Menkar
Menkar
NGC 1253
ERIDANUS
NGC 1253 lies 7.5° southeast of Menkar , the magnitude 2.5 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 1253 is highest in the evening in December
JAN
FEB
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APR
MAY
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JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: 25° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 16° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -12° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -25° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -32° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -31° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -21° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -7° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 7° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 20° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 27° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 34° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 21° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 5° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -15° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -32° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -42° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -40° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -27° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -8° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 11° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 27° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 37° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 43° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 26° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 6° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -17° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -38° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -52° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -49° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -32° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -9° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 13° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 34° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 46° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 52° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 31° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 8° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -18° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -43° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -61° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -57° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -35° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -10° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 16° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 40° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 56° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 59° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 34° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 9° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -20° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -47° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -70° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -64° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -38° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -10° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 18° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 45° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 65° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 65° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 37° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 10° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -20° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -49° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -78° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -69° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -40° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -10° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 19° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 49° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 74° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 69° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 38° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 11° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -20° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -49° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -79° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -70° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -40° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -9° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 20° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 51° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 80° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 68° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 38° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 11° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -19° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -48° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -74° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -67° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -39° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -9° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 20° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 50° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 78° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 63° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 37° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 11° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -17° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -44° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -65° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -60° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -36° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -8° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 20° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 48° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 70° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 56° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 34° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 11° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -16° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -39° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -56° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -52° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -32° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -7° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 19° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 44° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 61° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 48° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 30° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 10° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -13° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -33° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -46° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -44° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -27° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -5° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 17° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 39° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 52° 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 87°N.
NGC 1253 is 67 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 1253 tonight left it about 67 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of NGC 1253
58 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 1222, lenticular galaxy, 1.3° NGC 1289, lenticular galaxy, 1.4° NGC 1305, lenticular galaxy, 1.9° NGC 1211, lenticular galaxy, 2.7° IC 298, galaxy pair, 4.2° NGC 1234, late spiral galaxy, 5.1° NGC 1132, elliptical galaxy, 5.5°
NGC 1253 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Eridanus Designations NGC 1253, 2MASX J03140904-0249226, IRAS 03116-0300, MCG -01-09-018, PGC 012041, UGCA 062 Type mixed spiral galaxy (SABc) Right ascension (J2000) 03h 14.2m Declination (J2000) -02° 49′ Magnitude 11.7 (B 12.0) Surface brightness 23.5 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 4.6′ × 1.9′ Position angle 85° True size 88,700 light-years Distance 67 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Radial velocity 1,711 km/s, redshift 0.00572 Best with Telescope Best month December Catalog page NGC 1001 to 1500
