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Galaxy

Messier 109

Also M109 · NGC 3992

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A barred spiral galaxy in Ursa Major, near the star Phecda on the sky.

Measured

Distance
about 62.8 million light-years (published estimates 44 million–90.3 million)
Size
about 132,000 light-years across (approximate)
Constellation
Ursa Major
Position (J2000)
RA 11h 57m 36s, Dec +53.37°

How far, from the Sun

About 62.8 million light-years. To cross it:

  • Light62.8 million years
  • Voyager 1's speed1.12 trillion years
  • Driving at 100 km/h678 trillion years

Voyager 1 at the speed it moved outward over the year to 2026-10-25 (JPL Horizons). Driving: nonstop, never refuelling.

Facts

  • It has three satellite galaxies of its own.
  • It is moving away from us at about 1,050 km/s (NASA/IPAC NED).

Where this comes from

  • NED-D median of 26 published distances, 19.25 Mpc (mean 20.60, σ 7.10; read 2026-10-31); Cosmicflows-3 gives 26.18 Mpc (Tully, Courtois & Sorce 2016, AJ 152, 50)
  • This research has made use of the SIMBAD database, CDS, Strasbourg, France (Wenger et al. 2000, A&AS 143, 9).
  • This research has made use of the VizieR catalogue access tool, CDS, Strasbourg, France (DOI: 10.26093/cds/vizier).

Every catalogue Ouranos draws is credited on the credits page.