Galaxy · Leo

C40 NGC 3626

Magnitude
10.6
Season
Spring
Difficulty
Very Hard
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C400.0° field0° rotation
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Imaging reference
NGC 3626 (C40) Galaxy

Observer's guide

About NGC 3626

NGC 3626 (C40) is catalogued as a galaxy in Leo. Its J2000 position is RA 11:20:03, Dec +18:21:25, corresponding to 170.0159 degrees RA and 18.3568 degrees Dec. The local catalogue places it about 86,000,000 light-years away. Its referenced angular extent is approximately 2.99 by 1.94 arcminutes.

Observing tips

StarWatchr rates this as a very hard target at magnitude 10.6. It is associated with spring observing, with midnight placement typically strongest around March. From 52 degrees north its theoretical meridian altitude is about 56.4 degrees; local horizons and the live altitude chart determine the practical window.

Because it is faint, use a larger aperture where possible, avoid bright Moon conditions, and use averted vision.

What to expect

The SIMBAD classification for the matched source is GiG. SIMBAD records the morphology as SAa. A published radial velocity value is 1466 km/s. The SIMBAD record currently connects it to 285 bibliographic references.

At roughly 3 arcminutes across, it benefits from a narrower field and adequate image scale. Use the listed 2.99 by 1.94 arcminute extent to check framing, and treat catalogue magnitude as integrated brightness rather than a direct measure of visual contrast.

Sourced catalogue data

Scientific record

Measurements for C40 are kept separate from practical observing guidance.

Coordinates (J2000/ICRS)
RA 170.015862° · Dec 18.356818°
SIMBAD classification
GiG
Morphology
SAa
Angular extent
2.99′ × 1.94′
Position angle
162°
Surface brightness
21.14 mag/arcsec²
Radial velocity
1,466 km/s
Redshift
0.00490206
Linked bibliography
285 references
Best midnight placement
March
Observable latitude range
-71.6° to 90°

Source: SIMBAD astronomical database (CDS, Strasbourg) (ODbL; checked 2026-08-09). Catalogue values may change when new measurements are published.

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24-hour altitude profile

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