NGC 3659 is a late spiral galaxy in Leo, 76 million light-years away
NGC 3659 is a late spiral galaxy in the constellation Leo , 76 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 12.0 and spans 2′ × 1′ of sky, about 43,400 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, 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 3659 from Zosma
Zosma
NGC 3659
LEO
NGC 3659 lies 3.5° southeast of Zosma , the magnitude 2.6 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 3659 is highest in the evening in April
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: 10° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 25° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 38° 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: 36° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 22° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 7° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -5° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -12° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -11° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -3° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 7° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 26° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 43° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 56° 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: 22° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 3° 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: -10° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 3° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 26° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 47° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 65° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 63° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 44° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 21° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -1° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -20° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -31° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -30° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -17° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -1° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 25° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 49° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 73° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 70° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 45° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 20° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -6° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -27° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -41° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -39° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -24° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -4° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 23° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 49° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 78° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 74° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 45° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 18° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -10° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -34° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -50° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -48° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -30° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -8° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 21° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 47° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 75° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 72° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 43° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 15° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -13° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -40° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -60° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -57° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -35° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -11° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 18° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 44° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 68° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 66° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 40° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 12° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -17° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -45° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -68° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -65° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -40° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -14° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 15° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 39° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 60° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 58° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 35° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 9° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -20° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -49° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -76° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -71° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -43° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -16° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 11° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 33° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 50° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 49° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 30° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 6° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -22° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -50° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -78° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -73° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -45° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -18° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 7° 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: 24° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 2° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -24° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -50° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -73° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -69° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -45° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -20° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 2° 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: 30° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 17° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -2° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -25° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -48° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -65° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -63° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -43° 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 3659 is 76 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 3659 tonight left it about 76 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of NGC 3659
264 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 3626, lenticular galaxy, 1.0° NGC 3686, barred spiral galaxy, 1.1° NGC 3684, spiral galaxy, 1.1° NGC 3681, spiral galaxy, 1.2° NGC 3655, late spiral galaxy, 1.2° NGC 3691, barred spiral galaxy, 1.4° NGC 3608, elliptical galaxy, 1.6° NGC 3607, lenticular galaxy, 1.6°
NGC 3659 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Leo Designations NGC 3659, 2MASX J11234549+1749068, IRAS 11211+1805, MCG +03-29-040, PGC 034995, SDSS J112345.53+174907.2, UGC 06405 Type late spiral galaxy (Sd) Right ascension (J2000) 11h 23.8m Declination (J2000) +17° 49′ Magnitude 12.0 Surface brightness 22.5 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 2′ × 1′ Position angle 59° True size 43,400 light-years Distance 76 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Radial velocity 1,279 km/s, redshift 0.00428 Best with Telescope Best month April Catalog page NGC 3501 to 4000
