Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 3608
NGC 3608 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 58.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 58.4 million light-years (17.90 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 45,700 light-years · 0.52 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.98 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.28 |
| Luminosity | 0.43 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 16m 59.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +18° 08′ 55″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.28. 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 58 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 1,035.7 billion years.