Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 3119
NGC 3119 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 411.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 411.2 million light-years (126.07 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 177,700 light-years · 2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.70 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.80 |
| Luminosity | 5.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 06m 51.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +14° 22′ 25″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.80. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 76° S. North of latitude 76° 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 411 million years ago. At that time complex animals were spreading through the seas and over the land; there were no dinosaurs yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 7,294.2 billion years.