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.
