Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 3697
NGC 3697 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 291.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 291.7 million light-years (89.44 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 186,000 light-years · 2.1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.87 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.89 |
| Luminosity | 2.4 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 28m 50.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | +20° 47′ 42″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.89. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 69° S. North of latitude 69° 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 292 million years ago. At that time complex animals were spreading through the seas and over the land; there were no dinosaurs yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 5,174.8 billion years.