Galaxy · Barred spiral
M109
M109 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Ursa Major, 55.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Distance | 55.1 million light-years (16.90 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 120,700 light-years · 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.50 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.64 |
| Luminosity | 1.7 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 57m 36.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +53° 22′ 30″ |
| Source | Compiled catalogue (NED, approximate values) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.64. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 37° S. North of latitude 37° 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 55 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 977.8 billion years.