🔭 M77 — Cetus A

Galaxy in Cetus

M77, Cetus A is a galaxy in the constellation Cetus, with an apparent magnitude of about 8.9, roughly 47 thousand light-years away.

Data

Catalogue designation	M77
Common name	Cetus A
Object type	Galaxy
Constellation	Cetus
NGC / IC	NGC 1068
Apparent magnitude	8.9
Distance (approx.)	47 thousand light-years

What a galaxy is

A vast, gravitationally-bound system of stars, gas and dust — from small irregular collections to giant spirals containing a trillion suns. Most Messier galaxies are island universes far beyond the Milky Way.

Data: Messier catalogue & IAU constellations, via English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0) · stored statically.