Galaxy · Lenticular
NGC 3599
NGC 3599 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 38.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Lenticular |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 38.8 million light-years (11.89 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 23,000 light-years · 0.26 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −18.01 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.37 |
| Luminosity | 0.07 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 15m 27.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +18° 06′ 37″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.37. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 72° S. North of latitude 72° 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 39 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 687.9 billion years.