Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 3277
NGC 3277 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo Minor, 65.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo Minor |
| Distance | 65.6 million light-years (20.11 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 37,800 light-years · 0.43 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.70 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.82 |
| Luminosity | 0.33 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 32m 55.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | +28° 30′ 42″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.82. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 61° S. North of latitude 61° 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 66 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 1,163.5 billion years.