Galaxy · Lenticular
NGC 3257
NGC 3257 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Antlia, 149.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Lenticular |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Antlia |
| Distance | 149.1 million light-years (45.71 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 54,300 light-years · 0.62 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.08 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.22 |
| Luminosity | 0.47 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 28m 47.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | −35° 39′ 29″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.22. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 54° N. South of latitude 54° S 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 149 million years ago. At that time dinosaurs ruled the Earth. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 2,644.7 billion years.