Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 3686
NGC 3686 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 53.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 53.8 million light-years (16.51 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 45,600 light-years · 0.52 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.71 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.38 |
| Luminosity | 0.33 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 27m 43.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +17° 13′ 27″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.38. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 73° S. North of latitude 73° 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 54 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 955.2 billion years.