Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 3389
NGC 3389 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 61.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 61.0 million light-years (18.69 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 68,800 light-years · 0.79 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.01 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.35 |
| Luminosity | 0.18 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 48m 27.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +12° 31′ 59″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.35. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 77° S. North of latitude 77° N it never sets. 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 61 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 1,081.4 billion years.