Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 3648
NGC 3648 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Ursa Major, 90.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Distance | 90.8 million light-years (27.83 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 47,300 light-years · 0.54 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.57 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.65 |
| Luminosity | 0.29 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 22m 31.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | +39° 52′ 37″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.65. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 50° S. North of latitude 50° 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 91 million years ago. At that time dinosaurs ruled the Earth. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 1,610.2 billion years.