Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 3044
NGC 3044 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Sextans, 60.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Sextans |
| Distance | 60.0 million light-years (18.41 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 107,700 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.45 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.88 |
| Luminosity | 0.26 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 9h 53m 40.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +1° 34′ 47″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.88. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 88° S. 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 60 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 1,065.2 billion years.