Polarissima Borealis (NGC 3172)
Also known as Polarissima Borealis · NGC 3172
Polarissima Borealis (NGC 3172) is a galaxy in the constellation Ursa Minor, about 283.98 million light-years from Earth.
Facts
| Type | Galaxy |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Ursa Minor |
| Position (J2000) | 11h 47m 13s, +89° 05′ |
| Distance | 283.98 million light-years (its light set off about 283.98 million years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 15 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 0.9′ × 0.8′ (the full Moon is about 31′) |
| Filter | No filter (It shines in starlight of every colour, so a nebula filter would only dim it; a dark sky helps more.) |
| Redshift | z = 0.02033 |
| Studied in | 23 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
Polarissima Borealis (NGC 3172) is highest in the sky at midnight in March. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 21° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 51°. To see it you need a large telescope or long-exposure photos.
Heights are worked out for India and for 50° N. Set your location in Settings to see them for where you are.
For tonight's best time from your own town, the darkness and the Moon, open it on the map and see its "Tonight from your location" card.
More in Ursa Minor
Everything in Ursa Minor · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits