NGC 1407
Scientific overview
NGC 1407 is an elliptical galaxy in the constellation Eridanus. It shines at apparent magnitude 9.65 and spans about 5.73 arcminutes of sky.
Observation guide
Guidance follows standard observing practice, derived from the object's real magnitude and position. A dark, moonless sky always helps.
Location in the sky
Precision measurements
Distances and velocities from SIMBAD and redshift from NED · NGC 1407
| Distance | 9.1911e+7 ly | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Physical size (major axis) | 153,196 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Physical size (minor axis) | 140,898 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Redshift (z) | 0.005934 ± 3.0000e-5 | NED · catalogued |
| Radial velocity | 1,779 ± 9 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 55.0496 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | -18.580378 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Distance: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · mesDistance · dist · 2016AJ....152...50T · catalogued value · source value 28.18 Mpc · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Physical size (major axis): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · derived (OpenNGC angular size × SIMBAD distance) · physical size = angular size × distance (small-angle); angular size from OpenNGC, distance from SIMBAD mesDistance · derived · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Physical size (minor axis): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · derived (OpenNGC angular size × SIMBAD distance) · physical size = angular size × distance (small-angle); angular size from OpenNGC, distance from SIMBAD mesDistance · derived · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Redshift (z): NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database · NED · ObjectLookup · Redshift · 1994A&A...283..722Q · catalogued value · NED quality SUN · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Radial velocity: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · rvz_radvel · 2011MNRAS.416.2840L · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · 2006AJ....131.1163S · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 2006AJ....131.1163S · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
Physical size is derived from the OpenNGC angular size and the catalogued distance (small-angle: size = angle × distance). Redshift is the object's measured redshift — a negative value is a blueshift (the galaxy is approaching, its motion dominated by local rather than cosmic expansion). Fields a source did not provide are omitted, never invented.
Other objects in Eridanus
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NGC 1269NGC 1269 | Lenticular galaxy | 8.7 | 11.17 |
| NGC 1535NGC 1535 | Planetary nebula | 9.6 | 0.85 |
| NGC 1395NGC 1395 | Elliptical galaxy | 9.65 | 4.71 |
| NGC 1404NGC 1404 | Elliptical galaxy | 9.93 | 5.01 |
| the Witch Head NebulaNGC 1909 | Reflection nebula | — | 180 |
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- OpenNGCOpenNGC (M. Verga) — NGC/IC, Messier, and Caldwell catalogue data
Openly-licensed deep-sky catalogue: object types, positions, magnitudes, sizes, morphology, and cross-identifiers.