Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 3509
NGC 3509 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 359.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 359.0 million light-years (110.06 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 269,500 light-years · 3.1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.13 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.08 |
| Luminosity | 3.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 04m 23.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | +4° 49′ 43″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.08. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 85° 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 359 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 6,367.8 billion years.