Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 3961
NGC 3961 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Draco, 313.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Draco |
| Distance | 313.1 million light-years (96.00 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 132,800 light-years · 1.5 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.21 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.70 |
| Luminosity | 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 54m 57.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +69° 19′ 48″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.70. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 21° S. North of latitude 21° 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 313 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 5,554.4 billion years.