Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 2501
NGC 2501 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Puppis, 100.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Puppis |
| Distance | 100.9 million light-years (30.93 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 49,900 light-years · 0.57 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.39 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.06 |
| Luminosity | 0.63 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 7h 58m 30.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | −14° 21′ 15″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.06. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 76° N. South of latitude 76° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in January, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 101 million years ago. At that time dinosaurs ruled the Earth. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 1,789.5 billion years.