Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 3356
NGC 3356 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 287.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 287.7 million light-years (88.20 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 154,300 light-years · 1.8 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.46 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.27 |
| Luminosity | 1.7 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 44m 12.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +6° 45′ 32″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.27. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 83° S. It stands highest at midnight in March, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 288 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 5,103.1 billion years.