Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 3628
NGC 3628 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 | 97,800 light-years · 1.1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.60 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.55 |
| Luminosity | 0.76 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 20m 17.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +13° 35′ 20″ |
| Source | Compiled catalogue (NED, approximate values) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.55. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 76° S. North of latitude 76° 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 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.