NGC 3156 is a lenticular galaxy in Sextans, 72 million light-years away
NGC 3156 is a lenticular galaxy in the constellation Sextans , 72 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 12.3 and spans 1.9′ × 1′ of sky, about 40,200 light-years across. It is faint: a 10-inch or larger telescope, or a camera, 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 3156 from Regulus
Regulus
NGC 3156
SEXTANS
NGC 3156 lies 8.9° south of Regulus , the magnitude 1.4 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
NGC 3156 is highest in the evening in April
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 6° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 20° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 30° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 33° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 27° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 15° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 0° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -14° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -24° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -27° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -21° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -9° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 7° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 25° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 38° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 43° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 35° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 18° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -1° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -19° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -33° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -37° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -29° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -13° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 7° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 30° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 47° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 53° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 42° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 21° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -2° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -24° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -42° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -47° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -36° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -16° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 7° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 33° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 54° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 63° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 48° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 23° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -3° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -28° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -50° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -56° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -42° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -19° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 7° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 36° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 60° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 72° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 52° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 24° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -3° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -32° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -57° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -66° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -48° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -22° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 7° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 37° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 64° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 81° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 55° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 25° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -4° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -34° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -63° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -76° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -52° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -23° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 6° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 37° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 64° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 84° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 55° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 25° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -5° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -35° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -66° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -84° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -54° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -24° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 6° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 36° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 61° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 76° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 53° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 24° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -5° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -35° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -65° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -81° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -54° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -25° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 5° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 33° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 56° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 66° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 49° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 22° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -6° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -34° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -61° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -72° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -51° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -24° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 4° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 30° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 49° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 57° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 43° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 20° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -6° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -32° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -55° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -63° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -47° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -23° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 3° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 25° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 41° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 47° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 36° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 17° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -6° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -29° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -47° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -53° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -41° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -21° 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 87°S.
NGC 3156 is 72 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 3156 tonight left it about 72 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of NGC 3156
25 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 3156 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Sextans Designations NGC 3156, 2MASX J10124120+0307455, MCG +01-26-019, PGC 029730, SDSS J101241.24+030745.6, SDSS J101241.24+030745.7, SDSS J101241.25+030745.6, SDSS J101241.25+030745.7 Type lenticular galaxy (S0) Right ascension (J2000) 10h 12.7m Declination (J2000) +03° 08′ Magnitude 12.3 (B 13.0) Surface brightness 23.1 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 1.9′ × 1′ Position angle 50° True size 40,200 light-years Distance 72 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Radial velocity 1,331 km/s, redshift 0.00445 Best with Large telescope Best month April Catalog page NGC 3001 to 3500
