Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 3162
NGC 3162 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 60.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 60.5 million light-years (18.54 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 42,400 light-years · 0.49 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −18.98 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.36 |
| Luminosity | 0.17 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 13m 31.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +22° 44′ 15″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.36. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 67° S. North of latitude 67° 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 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 1,072.7 billion years.