Galaxy · Barred spiral
M108
M108 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Ursa Major, 46.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Distance | 46.0 million light-years (14.10 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 114,200 light-years · 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.00 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.75 |
| Luminosity | 1.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 11m 31.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +55° 40′ 26″ |
| Source | Compiled catalogue (NED, approximate values) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.75. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 34° S. North of latitude 34° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in March, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 46 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 815.8 billion years.