Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 3398
NGC 3398 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Ursa Major, 133.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Distance | 133.5 million light-years (40.94 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 71,300 light-years · 0.82 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.40 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.66 |
| Luminosity | 0.25 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 51m 31.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | +55° 23′ 28″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.66. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 35° S. North of latitude 35° 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 134 million years ago. At that time dinosaurs ruled the Earth. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 2,368.7 billion years.