Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 3079
NGC 3079 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Ursa Major, 52.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Distance | 52.0 million light-years (15.94 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 111,600 light-years · 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.85 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 10.16 |
| Luminosity | 0.95 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 01m 57.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +55° 40′ 48″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 10.16. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 34° S. North of latitude 34° 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 52 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 922.3 billion years.