Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 3226
NGC 3226 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 53.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 53.6 million light-years (16.44 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 59,000 light-years · 0.68 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.32 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.76 |
| Luminosity | 0.23 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 23m 27.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +19° 53′ 54″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.76. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 70° S. North of latitude 70° 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 54 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 951.2 billion years.