Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 3215
NGC 3215 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Draco, 441.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Draco |
| Distance | 441.2 million light-years (135.26 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 216,400 light-years · 2.5 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.43 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.23 |
| Luminosity | 4.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 28m 40.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +79° 48′ 47″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.23. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 10° S. North of latitude 10° N it never sets.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 441 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 7,825.9 billion years.