Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 3601
NGC 3601 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 366.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 366.2 million light-years (112.27 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 111,200 light-years · 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.48 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.77 |
| Luminosity | 1.7 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 15m 33.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +5° 06′ 55″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.77. 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 366 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 6,495.7 billion years.