Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 2859
NGC 2859 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo Minor, 78.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo Minor |
| Distance | 78.6 million light-years (24.10 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 80,200 light-years · 0.92 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.98 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 10.93 |
| Luminosity | 1.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 9h 24m 18.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +34° 30′ 48″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 10.93. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 55° S. North of latitude 55° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in February, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 79 million years ago. At that time dinosaurs ruled the Earth. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 1,394.4 billion years.