Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 3718
NGC 3718 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Ursa Major, 46.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Distance | 46.3 million light-years (14.19 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 72,700 light-years · 0.83 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.10 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 10.66 |
| Luminosity | 0.48 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 32m 34.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +53° 04′ 04″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 10.66. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 37° S. North of latitude 37° 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 46 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 821.0 billion years.