Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 3027
NGC 3027 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Ursa Major, 49.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Distance | 49.3 million light-years (15.11 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 22,400 light-years · 0.26 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −17.17 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.73 |
| Luminosity | 0.032 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 9h 55m 40.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +72° 12′ 13″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.73. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 18° S. North of latitude 18° 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 49 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 874.2 billion years.