NGC 3608 is a galaxy in Leo, 74 million light-years away
NGC 3608 (Herschel 400 no. 169, MCG +03-29-022, PGC 34433, UGC 6299) is a galaxy in the constellation Leo , 74 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 10.6 and spans 3.2′ × 2.7′ of sky, about 68,000 light-years across. It is best in a small telescope, 4 to 6 inches, and it is highest in the evening sky in April.
Galaxy: a system of billions of stars, gas and dust held together by gravity, far outside the Milky Way. Spiral galaxies have a disk with arms; elliptical galaxies are smooth, round or oval swarms of older stars.
Finding NGC 3608 from Zosma
Zosma
NGC 3608
LEO
NGC 3608 lies 2.5° south of Zosma , the magnitude 2.6 star. That is within one binocular field.
NGC 3608 is highest in the evening in April
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 11° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 26° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 39° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 47° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 46° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 35° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 21° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 6° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -5° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -11° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -10° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -2° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 8° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 27° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 44° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 57° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 55° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 40° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 21° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 2° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -13° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -21° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -20° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -9° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 4° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 27° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 48° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 66° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 63° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 43° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 20° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -2° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -21° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -31° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -29° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -16° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 1° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 27° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 51° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 75° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 69° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 44° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 18° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -7° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -28° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -41° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -38° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -22° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -2° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 25° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 51° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 79° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 72° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 44° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 16° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -11° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -35° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -50° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -47° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -28° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -6° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 23° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 49° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 77° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 70° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 42° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 14° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -15° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -41° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -60° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -56° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -34° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -9° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 20° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 45° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 69° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 64° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 38° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 11° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -18° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -47° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -69° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -63° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -38° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -12° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 16° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 40° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 60° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 56° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 34° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 7° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -21° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -50° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -77° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -69° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -41° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -15° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 12° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 34° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 50° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 48° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 29° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 4° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -24° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -52° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -80° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -71° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -43° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -17° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 8° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 27° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 41° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 39° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 22° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 0° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -25° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -52° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -75° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -68° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -44° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -19° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 3° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 20° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 31° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 29° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 16° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -3° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -26° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -49° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -66° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -62° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -42° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole northern hemisphere and south to about 72°S, and never sets north of 72°N.
NGC 3608 is 74 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 3608 tonight left it about 74 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. It ranks 340 of 398 by distance among the Herschel 400 objects. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of NGC 3608
NGC 3607, galaxy, 6′ C40, lenticular galaxy, 46′ NGC 3655, galaxy, 2.1° NGC 3686, galaxy, 2.7° NGC 3628, galaxy, 4.6° M65 Leo Triplet, barred spiral galaxy, 5.1° M66 Leo Triplet, barred spiral galaxy, 5.2° NGC 3593, galaxy, 5.4°
NGC 3608 catalog data
Field Value
Designations NGC 3608, Herschel 400 no. 169, MCG +03-29-022, PGC 34433, UGC 6299 Type galaxy Constellation Leo Right ascension (J2000) 11h 17.0m Declination (J2000) +18° 09′ Magnitude 10.6 Surface brightness 14.1 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 3.2′ × 2.7′ True size 68,000 light-years Distance 74 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Best month April Best with Small telescope Herschel 400 number 169
