Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 3821
NGC 3821 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 268.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 268.6 million light-years (82.34 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 114,500 light-years · 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.54 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.04 |
| Luminosity | 1.8 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 42m 09.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +20° 18′ 57″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.04. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 70° S. North of latitude 70° 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 269 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 4,764.0 billion years.