Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 2964
NGC 2964 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 61.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 61.9 million light-years (18.97 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 49,100 light-years · 0.56 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.14 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.25 |
| Luminosity | 0.5 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 9h 42m 54.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +31° 50′ 50″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.25. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 58° S. North of latitude 58° 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 62 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 1,097.6 billion years.