Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 3859
NGC 3859 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 254.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 254.8 million light-years (78.11 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 87,300 light-years · 1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.44 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.02 |
| Luminosity | 0.65 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 44m 52.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +19° 27′ 15″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.02. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 71° S. North of latitude 71° 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 255 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 4,519.3 billion years.