NGC 3309 is a giant elliptical galaxy[2] located about 200 million light-years away[3] in the constellation Hydra.

[4] NGC 3309 was discovered by astronomer John Herschel on March 24, 1835.

[5][6] The galaxy forms a pair with NGC 3311[7] which lies about 72,000 ly (22 kpc) away.

At a projected distance of about ~3,300 ly (1 kpc) from the nucleus, the jet appears to narrow into a nozzle-like structure before it expands into a lobe extending away from the galaxy.

The predominant part of the radio emission in the Hydra Cluster comes from NGC 3309.