Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 3186
NGC 3186 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 392.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 392.8 million light-years (120.44 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 184,000 light-years · 2.1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.69 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.71 |
| Luminosity | 2.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 15m 53.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | +6° 57′ 50″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.71. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 83° 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 393 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 6,968.4 billion years.