| NGC 720 | |
|---|---|
 NGC 720 by Chandra X-ray Observatory (left) and DSS (right) | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Right ascension | 01h 53m 00.5s[1] |
| Declination | −13° 44′ 19″[1] |
| Redshift | 0.005821 +/- 0.000022 [1] |
| Heliocentric radial velocity | 1,745 ± 7 km/s[1] |
| Distance | 80 ± 20 Mly (24.4 ± 6.3 Mpc)[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 10.2 |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | E5 [1] |
| Apparent size (V) | 4.7′ × 2.4′[1] |
| Notable features | Strong X-rays source |
| Other designations | |
| MCG -02-05-068, PGC 6983[1] | |
NGC 720 is an elliptical galaxy located in the constellation Cetus. It is located at a distance of circa 80 million light years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 720 is about 110,000 light years across.[1] It was discovered by William Herschel on October 3, 1785.[2] The galaxy is included in the Herschel 400 Catalogue. It lies about three and a half degrees south and slightly east from zeta Ceti.[3]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database". Results for NGC 720. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
- ^ Seligman, Courtney. "NGC 720 (= PGC 6983)". Celestial Atlas. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
- ^ O'Meara, Steve (2007). Steve O'Meara's Herschel 400 observing guide : how to find and explore 400 star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies discovered by William and Caroline Herschel. Cambridge: Cambridge university press. p. 306. ISBN 978-0521858939.