Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 2958
NGC 2958 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 310.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 310.5 million light-years (95.19 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 112,300 light-years · 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.81 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.08 |
| Luminosity | 2.3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 9h 40m 41.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +11° 53′ 18″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.08. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 78° S. North of latitude 78° 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 310 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 5,507.5 billion years.