Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 3521
NGC 3521 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 34.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 34.9 million light-years (10.70 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 113,900 light-years · 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.80 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 8.35 |
| Luminosity | 2.3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 05m 48.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | −0° 02′ 09″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
Too faint for the naked eye (magnitude 8.35); binoculars will find it. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 90° N. 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 35 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 619.1 billion years.