NGC 7721 is a late spiral galaxy in Aquarius, 87 million light-years away
NGC 7721 is a late spiral galaxy in the constellation Aquarius , 87 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 11.6 and spans 3.1′ × 46″ of sky, about 78,000 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, 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 7721 from ι Cet
ι Cet
NGC 7721
AQUARIUS
NGC 7721 lies 10.3° west of ι Cet , the magnitude 3.6 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
NGC 7721 is highest in the evening in November
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: 2° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -13° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -26° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -35° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -36° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -27° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -14° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 1° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 14° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 22° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 22° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 15° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 5° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -15° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -32° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -44° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -45° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -33° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -16° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 4° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 21° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 32° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 32° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 22° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 7° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -16° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -36° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -53° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -54° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -39° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -17° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 6° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 27° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 41° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 42° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 28° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 10° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -17° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -40° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -62° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -63° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -43° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -18° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 9° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 33° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 50° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 51° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 34° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 12° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -17° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -43° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -69° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -71° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -46° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -18° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 11° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 38° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 59° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 60° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 39° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 14° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -16° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -43° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -73° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -77° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -47° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -18° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 12° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 42° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 67° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 68° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 43° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 15° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -15° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -43° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -72° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -75° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -46° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -17° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 14° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 44° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 73° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 74° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 46° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 16° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -14° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -40° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -67° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -69° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -43° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -15° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 15° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 45° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 74° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 75° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 46° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 16° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -12° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -37° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -59° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -60° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -40° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -13° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 15° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 44° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 69° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 71° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 45° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 16° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -10° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -32° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -50° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -51° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -34° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -11° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 15° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 41° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 62° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 63° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 42° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 16° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -7° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -27° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -41° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -42° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -29° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -8° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 15° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 37° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 54° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 54° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 38° 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 83°N.
NGC 7721 is 87 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 7721 tonight left it about 87 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of NGC 7721
40 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 7721 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Aquarius Designations NGC 7721, 2MASX J23384864-0631043, IRAS 23362-0647, MCG -01-60-017, PGC 072001, SDSS J233848.66-063103.9 Type late spiral galaxy (Sc) Right ascension (J2000) 23h 38.8m Declination (J2000) -06° 31′ Magnitude 11.6 (B 12.0) Surface brightness 22.3 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 3.1′ × 46″ Position angle 16° True size 78,000 light-years Distance 87 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Radial velocity 2,012 km/s, redshift 0.00673 Best with Telescope Best month November Catalog page NGC 7501 to 8000
