Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 3985
NGC 3985 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Ursa Major, 44.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Distance | 44.2 million light-years (13.54 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 17,200 light-years · 0.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −17.41 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.25 |
| Luminosity | 0.04 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 56m 42.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +48° 20′ 02″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.25. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 42° S. North of latitude 42° 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 44 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 783.4 billion years.