Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 3596
NGC 3596 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 55.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 55.6 million light-years (17.04 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 53,600 light-years · 0.61 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.57 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.59 |
| Luminosity | 0.29 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 15m 06.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +14° 47′ 14″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.59. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 75° S. North of latitude 75° 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 56 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 985.9 billion years.