Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 2903
NGC 2903 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 28.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 28.9 million light-years (8.87 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 105,900 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.50 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 8.24 |
| Luminosity | 1.7 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 9h 32m 09.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +21° 30′ 02″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
Too faint for the naked eye (magnitude 8.24); binoculars will find it. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 68° S. North of latitude 68° 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 29 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 513.2 billion years.