Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 3640
NGC 3640 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 58.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 58.3 million light-years (17.87 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 71,200 light-years · 0.81 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.56 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 10.70 |
| Luminosity | 0.73 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 21m 06.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +3° 14′ 05″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 10.70. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 87° 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 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 1,033.9 billion years.