Galaxy · Lenticular
NGC 3388
NGC 3388 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 308.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Lenticular |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 308.8 million light-years (94.67 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 89,600 light-years · 1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.26 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.62 |
| Luminosity | 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 51m 25.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | +8° 34′ 02″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.62. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 81° 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 309 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 5,477.4 billion years.