Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 2946
NGC 2946 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 417.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 417.2 million light-years (127.90 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 172,500 light-years · 2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.67 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.86 |
| Luminosity | 2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 9h 39m 01.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +17° 01′ 31″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.86. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 73° S. North of latitude 73° 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 417 million years ago. At that time complex animals were spreading through the seas and over the land; there were no dinosaurs yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 7,400.0 billion years.