Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 3301
NGC 3301 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 61.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 61.5 million light-years (18.87 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 48,500 light-years · 0.56 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.97 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.41 |
| Luminosity | 0.42 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 36m 56.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +21° 52′ 56″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.41. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 68° S. North of latitude 68° 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 62 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 1,091.8 billion years.