NGC 1401 is a lenticular galaxy in Eridanus, 44 million light-years away
NGC 1401 (ESO 482-026) is a lenticular galaxy in the constellation Eridanus , 44 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 12.2 and spans 2.5′ × 54″ of sky, about 31,200 light-years across. It is faint: a 10-inch or larger telescope, or a camera, and it is highest in the evening sky in January.
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 1401 from Zaurak
Zaurak
NGC 1401
ERIDANUS
NGC 1401 lies 10.2° southwest of Zaurak , the magnitude 3.0 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
NGC 1401 is highest in the evening in January
JAN
FEB
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APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: 6° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -1° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -11° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -26° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -40° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -51° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -52° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -42° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -27° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -13° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -1° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 6° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 16° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 7° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -7° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -26° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -44° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -60° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -61° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -46° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -27° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -9° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 7° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 16° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 26° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 14° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -2° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -24° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -47° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -68° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -69° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -49° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -26° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -5° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 14° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 26° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 35° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 22° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 2° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -22° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -48° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -74° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -76° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -50° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -24° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -0° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 21° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 35° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 45° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 29° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 7° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -19° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -46° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -74° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -77° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -49° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -22° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 4° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 28° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 44° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 54° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 35° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 12° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -16° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -43° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -70° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -72° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -46° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -18° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 9° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 35° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 54° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 63° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 40° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 16° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -12° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -39° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -62° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -64° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -42° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -15° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 13° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 40° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 62° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 71° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 45° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 20° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -8° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -34° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -54° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -55° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -36° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -10° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 16° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 45° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 70° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 76° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 48° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 23° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -4° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -27° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -44° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -45° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -30° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -6° 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: 75° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 75° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 49° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 25° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 0° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -21° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -35° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -36° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -23° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -1° 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: 74° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 69° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 48° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 27° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 5° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -14° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -25° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -26° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -15° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 3° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 25° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 48° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 68° 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 67°N, and never sets south of 67°S.
NGC 1401 is 44 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 1401 tonight left it about 44 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of NGC 1401
65 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 1395, elliptical galaxy, 22′ NGC 1415, lenticular galaxy, 24′ NGC 1426, elliptical galaxy, 1.0° NGC 1438, early spiral galaxy, 1.4° NGC 1439, elliptical galaxy, 1.5° IC 1953, late spiral galaxy, 1.8° NGC 1385, late spiral galaxy, 1.8° NGC 1367, early spiral galaxy, 2.4°
NGC 1401 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Eridanus Designations NGC 1401, ESO 482-026, 2MASX J03392185-2243289, ESO-LV 482-0260, MCG -04-09-042, PGC 013457 Type lenticular galaxy (S0) Right ascension (J2000) 03h 39.4m Declination (J2000) -22° 43′ Magnitude 12.2 (B 13.0) Surface brightness 23.7 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 2.5′ × 54″ Position angle 132° True size 31,200 light-years Distance 44 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Radial velocity 1,529 km/s, redshift 0.00511 Best with Large telescope Best month January Catalog page NGC 1001 to 1500
