Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 3078
NGC 3078 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Hydra, 120.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Hydra |
| Distance | 120.2 million light-years (36.86 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 101,000 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.78 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.05 |
| Luminosity | 2.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 9h 58m 24.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | −26° 55′ 36″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.05. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 63° N. South of latitude 63° S 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 120 million years ago. At that time dinosaurs ruled the Earth. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 2,132.6 billion years.