Spiral Galaxy · Ursa Major

M109 NGC 3992

Magnitude
9.8
Season
Spring
Difficulty
Hard
Star-hop chart
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Imaging reference
NGC 3992 (M109) Spiral Galaxy

Observer's guide

About NGC 3992

NGC 3992 (M109) is catalogued as a spiral galaxy in Ursa Major. Its J2000 position is RA 11:57:35.98, Dec +53:22:28.3, corresponding to 179.3998 degrees RA and 53.3747 degrees Dec. The local catalogue places it about 55,000,000 light-years away. Its referenced angular extent is approximately 8.2 by 4.61 arcminutes.

Observing tips

StarWatchr rates this as a hard target at magnitude 9.8. It is associated with spring observing, with midnight placement typically strongest around March. From 52 degrees north its theoretical meridian altitude is about 88.6 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 SB. A published radial velocity value is 1048 km/s. The SIMBAD record currently connects it to 484 bibliographic references.

At roughly 8.2 arcminutes across, it benefits from a narrower field and adequate image scale. Use the listed 8.2 by 4.61 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 M109 are kept separate from practical observing guidance.

Coordinates (J2000/ICRS)
RA 179.399846° · Dec 53.374724°
SIMBAD classification
GiG
Morphology
SB
Angular extent
8.2′ × 4.61′
Position angle
49°
Surface brightness
22.37 mag/arcsec²
Radial velocity
1,048 km/s
Redshift
0.00350188
Linked bibliography
484 references
Best midnight placement
March
Observable latitude range
-36.6° 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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