Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 3486
NGC 3486 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo Minor, 31.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo Minor |
| Distance | 31.7 million light-years (9.73 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 44,700 light-years · 0.51 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.05 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 10.89 |
| Luminosity | 0.18 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 00m 24.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +28° 58′ 29″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 10.89. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 61° S. North of latitude 61° 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 32 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 563.0 billion years.